"The People Have Spoken!"
31/05/07 22:51 Filed in: Politics
Now that the
election is over, the Mahon Tribunal goes back to
work. Every day this week on Today FM's The Last
Word, whenever Matt Cooper has covered the
proceedings of the Tribunal, text messages flood in
(no pun intended) saying "Leave Bertie alone! The
people have spoken."
Does the fact that Bertie Ahern has more or less won another term as Taoiseach mean that no-one can question the source of his finances? That no-one has the right to query the inconsistencies in his account of how he bought his house? "Sure it was only small sums of money", seems to be a favourite theme.
What if more serious allegations had been made?
Let's say it was alleged he had mugged a pensioner. "Sure pension day is only next Tuesday, she'll manage till then. The people have spoken!"
Or if it was alleged that he went on a cocaine'n'whores bender in Brussels during an EU Heads of Government Summit. "He's a single man. Surely he's allowed to let off a bit of steam when he's away from home? Leave him alone!"
Does the fact that Bertie Ahern has more or less won another term as Taoiseach mean that no-one can question the source of his finances? That no-one has the right to query the inconsistencies in his account of how he bought his house? "Sure it was only small sums of money", seems to be a favourite theme.
What if more serious allegations had been made?
Let's say it was alleged he had mugged a pensioner. "Sure pension day is only next Tuesday, she'll manage till then. The people have spoken!"
Or if it was alleged that he went on a cocaine'n'whores bender in Brussels during an EU Heads of Government Summit. "He's a single man. Surely he's allowed to let off a bit of steam when he's away from home? Leave him alone!"
|
The UnLaoised Groove Supply, Volume 12
30/05/07 23:12 Filed in: UnLaoised
Groove Supply | Music
Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
30/05/07 22:12 Filed in: Music
I preordered
my copy of the new Wilco album "Sky Blue Sky" in the
hope of having it as soon as it was released, and
saving a few €s over what I'd pay for it in the
shops. There was a special edition for €23.49 on
play.com, consisting of the album and an accompanying
DVD called "Shake It Off", so I ordered that. It was
released last Tuesday week, but by Thursday my copy
still hadn't arrived. I wandered into Tower Records
in Wicklow Street that afternoon, and there it was on
sale, CD + DVD edition for €21.95. D'Oh! It
eventually arrived on Friday.
I started listening to Wilco ten years ago, with the album "Being There", and have followed them ever since. Their sound has evolved a lot in this decade, over the course of four more studio albums and a live album, plus several side projects. In my opinion, 2001's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is a masterpiece, and it really marked their departure from the alt.country scene, with which they had been associated from their beginning. "A Ghost is Born" released in 2004 took them even further along that route, but to me this was a less satisfying piece of work, with quite banal lyrics on several tracks and a self-indulgent use of noise on tracks like "Less Than You Think."
"Sky
Blue Sky" is much more immediately accessible than
YHF or AGIB. In some ways it is almost harking back
to Being There (the title track itself is quite
similar to "Far, Far Away".) The sound is much more
mellow overall, but it does have twists and turns as
we might expect from Jeff Tweedy and Co. Tweedy's
fellow band members are much more to the forefront in
this album, particularly guitar virtuoso Nels Cline.
Some hardcore Wilco fans may see this album as a regression. Like any other album by the band, it requires several listens in order to absorb it properly. Standout tracks so far for me are "You Are My Face", "Side With The Seeds" and "Walken."
It's well worth spending the extra few euros for the special CD + DVD edition, which features eight of the album's twelve tracks performed live by the band in their Chicago studio, plus numerous interviews.
I started listening to Wilco ten years ago, with the album "Being There", and have followed them ever since. Their sound has evolved a lot in this decade, over the course of four more studio albums and a live album, plus several side projects. In my opinion, 2001's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" is a masterpiece, and it really marked their departure from the alt.country scene, with which they had been associated from their beginning. "A Ghost is Born" released in 2004 took them even further along that route, but to me this was a less satisfying piece of work, with quite banal lyrics on several tracks and a self-indulgent use of noise on tracks like "Less Than You Think."
Some hardcore Wilco fans may see this album as a regression. Like any other album by the band, it requires several listens in order to absorb it properly. Standout tracks so far for me are "You Are My Face", "Side With The Seeds" and "Walken."
It's well worth spending the extra few euros for the special CD + DVD edition, which features eight of the album's twelve tracks performed live by the band in their Chicago studio, plus numerous interviews.
Does Anything Rhyme With Asparagus? Thought Not.
29/05/07 22:31 Filed in: Food &
Drink
Seasonal food
is a topic I come back to every now and then. I see
it as important, not just from the "food miles"
aspect, but also because food that has a short
journey from the farm to the plate is likely to be
more nutritious than that which has flown long-haul.
Asparagus is something we are used to seeing on supermarket shelves pretty much all year around. The European asparagus season is quite short, only a few weeks, and we are in the midst of it right now. Outside of this season, most of the asparagus you see comes from countries far away like Peru.
I love the stuff. Fresh asparagus, steamed, served with butter, salt and pepper, or dusted with fresh parmesan or smothered in freshly-made hollandaise sauce…
It doesn't half make your wee smell, though.
Asparagus is something we are used to seeing on supermarket shelves pretty much all year around. The European asparagus season is quite short, only a few weeks, and we are in the midst of it right now. Outside of this season, most of the asparagus you see comes from countries far away like Peru.
I love the stuff. Fresh asparagus, steamed, served with butter, salt and pepper, or dusted with fresh parmesan or smothered in freshly-made hollandaise sauce…
It doesn't half make your wee smell, though.
Tasting No
29/05/07 21:39 Filed in: Food &
Drink
I have
written before on the subject of tasting notes on restaurant wine
lists. Most restaurants feel the need to describe
what their wines taste like (well, that's not
exactly true. They usually get their suppliers to
do the describing for them), but in the end what
ends up of the list is usually pretentious
nonsense.
The idea of describing what wine tastes like is sound, but only when the wines being described actually have some character. In Ireland, seven bottles out of ten come from the "New World" (i.e. Australia, Chile, USA, South Africa, and to a lesser extent Argentina and New Zealand), and most of those have a retail price of €8 or less. Most of them are made (or marketed) by big corporations, and the wine in the bottle is usually a secondary consideration to the brand name on the label. The best you can say about them is that they are bland or inoffensive. If a restaurant stocks one of these, I can't see why they should see the need to describe what it tastes like. A picture of the label would be more effective at communicating the message.
Yesterday, I was in Dún Laoghaire and ended up in Café Mao for a quick nosebag at lunchtime. (I have never understood the rationale behind the name of that restaurant. I can't imagine a restaurant called Café Stalin, or Café Pol Pot, but that's by the by.) Anyway, while I was there, I came across an exquisite example of oenobollocks. A Merlot (always a difficult one to describe) on their wine list was flagged up as this:
Ruby red tending to Burgundy-red hues. Intense, persistent with complex scents of spices. Intensely vinous, harmonic.
This tasting note consists of three verbless sentences describing appearance, nose and palate. Obviously it was written by someone who has studied wine tasting, because these three things are considered sacrosanct when it comes to writing tasting notes. But sadly, the whole lot is meaningless bollocks.
"Ruby red tending to Burgundy-red hues."
Are Burgundy-red hues feeling a bit poorly, and Ruby red is wiping their feverish brows?
"Intense, persistent with complex scents of spices."
It's a cheap fucking Merlot. You don't get intensity, persistence, complexity, scents or spices with cheap fucking Merlot. You get bleh.
"Intensely vinous, harmonic."
Rule No.1. of writing short tasting notes: never use the same word twice. Once again, you don't get "intense" with cheap fucking Merlot. I should freakin' hope it's "vinous", seeing as it's wine, after all. "Harmonic"? If you ping the glass with your fingernail, does it give a perfect C major? I think the word the writer was scrambling for there was "harmonious", but again, it would not be appropriate here.
There probably is a nice picture of a kangaroo or something on the label of this wine. They should stick with that to sell it rather than trying to describe how awful it tastes.
The idea of describing what wine tastes like is sound, but only when the wines being described actually have some character. In Ireland, seven bottles out of ten come from the "New World" (i.e. Australia, Chile, USA, South Africa, and to a lesser extent Argentina and New Zealand), and most of those have a retail price of €8 or less. Most of them are made (or marketed) by big corporations, and the wine in the bottle is usually a secondary consideration to the brand name on the label. The best you can say about them is that they are bland or inoffensive. If a restaurant stocks one of these, I can't see why they should see the need to describe what it tastes like. A picture of the label would be more effective at communicating the message.
Yesterday, I was in Dún Laoghaire and ended up in Café Mao for a quick nosebag at lunchtime. (I have never understood the rationale behind the name of that restaurant. I can't imagine a restaurant called Café Stalin, or Café Pol Pot, but that's by the by.) Anyway, while I was there, I came across an exquisite example of oenobollocks. A Merlot (always a difficult one to describe) on their wine list was flagged up as this:
Ruby red tending to Burgundy-red hues. Intense, persistent with complex scents of spices. Intensely vinous, harmonic.
This tasting note consists of three verbless sentences describing appearance, nose and palate. Obviously it was written by someone who has studied wine tasting, because these three things are considered sacrosanct when it comes to writing tasting notes. But sadly, the whole lot is meaningless bollocks.
"Ruby red tending to Burgundy-red hues."
Are Burgundy-red hues feeling a bit poorly, and Ruby red is wiping their feverish brows?
"Intense, persistent with complex scents of spices."
It's a cheap fucking Merlot. You don't get intensity, persistence, complexity, scents or spices with cheap fucking Merlot. You get bleh.
"Intensely vinous, harmonic."
Rule No.1. of writing short tasting notes: never use the same word twice. Once again, you don't get "intense" with cheap fucking Merlot. I should freakin' hope it's "vinous", seeing as it's wine, after all. "Harmonic"? If you ping the glass with your fingernail, does it give a perfect C major? I think the word the writer was scrambling for there was "harmonious", but again, it would not be appropriate here.
There probably is a nice picture of a kangaroo or something on the label of this wine. They should stick with that to sell it rather than trying to describe how awful it tastes.
Joining In The Fun
29/05/07 21:20 Filed in: Election
2007
The lads
at Curry Chips are rounding up the
election in their inimitable style. Here's my
contribution:
Clouds, Silver Linings, Etc
25/05/07 22:38 Filed in: Election
2007 |
Politics
Well, it
looks like we will have to endure another five years
of Fianna Fáil in government. I hoped that we might
get a change, but the electorate thought otherwise.
The vote for both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, and the
seats won by both parties are well up on 2002.
Enda Kenny can hold his head high after this election. Fine Gael look like they will regain all the ground they lost in 2002 and more. There is a tendency in political parties when they are not elected to government for the leader to resign. I hope that Enda Kenny resists this path. He should remain as leader and build on the gains made in this election. Pat Rabbitte is the leader who should walk the plank in this election. Labour have stagnated under his leadership.
So that's the cloud, where is the silver lining?
Sinn Féin. They were going to win ten seats. They were going to call the shots on who would form the next government. Their poster girl, Mary Lou McDonald was going to take a seat in Bertie's own constituency. They got their holes kicked, big time.
Independents. Pretty much wiped out. Sadly, that gobshite Jackie Healy-Rae will be around for another five years, but most of the "hospital" candidates look set to lose out.
Still waiting on the first count from Laois-Offaly…
Enda Kenny can hold his head high after this election. Fine Gael look like they will regain all the ground they lost in 2002 and more. There is a tendency in political parties when they are not elected to government for the leader to resign. I hope that Enda Kenny resists this path. He should remain as leader and build on the gains made in this election. Pat Rabbitte is the leader who should walk the plank in this election. Labour have stagnated under his leadership.
So that's the cloud, where is the silver lining?
Sinn Féin. They were going to win ten seats. They were going to call the shots on who would form the next government. Their poster girl, Mary Lou McDonald was going to take a seat in Bertie's own constituency. They got their holes kicked, big time.
Independents. Pretty much wiped out. Sadly, that gobshite Jackie Healy-Rae will be around for another five years, but most of the "hospital" candidates look set to lose out.
Still waiting on the first count from Laois-Offaly…
A Bit Of A Redesign
I have just
upgraded to the new version (3.6) of
RapidWeaver, the site creation
tool I use for UnLaoised. Things haven't gone
entirely smoothly, as I can't use the old theme in
the new version.
So what you see now is just a temporary look. I'm looking for new themes and hope to have a more interesting one in place before long.
So what you see now is just a temporary look. I'm looking for new themes and hope to have a more interesting one in place before long.
Decisions, Decisions
23/05/07 22:36 Filed in: Election
2007 |
Politics
Adds Thursday 7.25AM:
I have tidied this post up a bit, to add in the bits
I forgot last night.
And so, tomorrow is "Make Your Mind Up" day.
After three weeks of claims, counter-claims, accusations, rebuttals, photo-ops, debates, soundbites, stunts, acres of newsprint and hours of broadcasts, we get to the point where we mark our preferences next to the candidates offering themselves for election.
I have given a lot of thought to where my top preferences will go. There is no doubt that FF and the PDs have managed the economy well, but at what social cost? House prices have risen exponentially in the last ten years, to the point that first time buyers are taking on huge amounts of debt over very long periods. Yet rising house prices are seen as a good thing. Many are forced to the outer limits of the commuter belt in order to find suitable housing that they can afford. Thousands of people doing daily 150km round trip commutes is not good for the economy, the environment, the communities within which these people live, nor indeed for the commuters themselves or their families. But as Bertie himself said in a Morning Ireland interview last Monday we should at least be "tankful" that these people are in Athy, Arklow and Portlaoise, and not in Baltimore (I presume he means Baltimore, Maryland, as opposed to Baltimore, Co Cork), Sydney or London. A superb "Let them eat cake" moment.
The health service is a mess, but to be fair, Mary Harney is at least making an attempt to straighten it out. Unlike her two predecessors, who were reluctant incumbents of the role. Micheal Martin presided over what was probably this government's most forward-thinking policy initiative - the ban on smoking ion the workplace - yet he did nothing about the nursing home crisis.
There is a potential time bomb down the road for the Education system. Provincial villages have become commuter towns overnight and their schools are reaching bursting point. There have been 2000 new houses built in Sallins, Co Kildare in the last ten years, but they still don't have a secondary school. They have to go the already overcrowded schools in Naas. We had the dreadful situation in Laytown, Co Meath, where there were no places for 90 school starters last September. Expect to see this happen more often within a semi-circle with an axis that stretches from Drogheda to Arklow.
Back in 1999, when the first National Development Plan was launched, we were promised motorway links between Dublin and all the major cities in the state by 2006. That has been revised back to 2010. The Dublin Port Tunnel was two years late, several million Euros over budget and one metre short in height. Two new LUAS lines were built in Dublin, but they did not intersect. Bordeaux built their "LUAS" at the same time as Dublin, and all three lines intersect.
Ten years into this government and still we rely on imports of oil for our energy. There has been sod all effort made at creating a policy on long-term energy security. We're lucky at the moment that the dollar is so weak. Can you imagine the price of oil if $1 was worth more than €1? This is a pressing issue and there has been virtual silence from all parties on it. We need to look at increasing dramatically our renewables, and at least talk in a rational way about the prospect of nuclear energy.
I'm going to vote for change. Ten years is long enough to be in government and get your policies implemented. After that, arrogance sets in. It's like that shit that comes out whenever a party has been in power for a long time - the opposition front bench don't have enough ministerial experience and therefore can't be trusted. Tony Blair had no experience before he became prime minister of the UK and he did alright (his role as Bush's bitch notwithstanding.)
There is also a local reason behind my decision. The party standing in Laois/Offaly after the 2002 election was FF 3, FG 1, PD 1. Four to one in favour of the current government. I don't believe that this accurately reflects the wishes of the Laois/Offaly electorate, and a 3:2 split would be more appropriate.
The policies of the various parties are broadly similar, so the decision is who is the most competent and trustworthy. FF and the PDs have produced some excellent ministers like Brian Cowen and Mary Harney. But they have also had some chumps like Noel Dempsey, Dick Roche and Martin Cullen. Hopefully FG/Lab/Greens will be a lot better at managing the country than FF/PDs. They can't be much worse.
Some might say that they can't be bothered voting, and that their vote won't make any difference. Seats have been won and lost on a handful of votes in the past, so every vote does count. I remember my father telling me about the count in Mayo last time round. I can't remember the exact details, but if a small number of votes had gone in another direction, Enda Kenny would have lost his seat and Jim Higgins would be challenging Bertie Ahern for the top job now. Instead, it was Higgins who lost his seat.
The time has come. Let's see what the other lot can do.
And so, tomorrow is "Make Your Mind Up" day.
After three weeks of claims, counter-claims, accusations, rebuttals, photo-ops, debates, soundbites, stunts, acres of newsprint and hours of broadcasts, we get to the point where we mark our preferences next to the candidates offering themselves for election.
I have given a lot of thought to where my top preferences will go. There is no doubt that FF and the PDs have managed the economy well, but at what social cost? House prices have risen exponentially in the last ten years, to the point that first time buyers are taking on huge amounts of debt over very long periods. Yet rising house prices are seen as a good thing. Many are forced to the outer limits of the commuter belt in order to find suitable housing that they can afford. Thousands of people doing daily 150km round trip commutes is not good for the economy, the environment, the communities within which these people live, nor indeed for the commuters themselves or their families. But as Bertie himself said in a Morning Ireland interview last Monday we should at least be "tankful" that these people are in Athy, Arklow and Portlaoise, and not in Baltimore (I presume he means Baltimore, Maryland, as opposed to Baltimore, Co Cork), Sydney or London. A superb "Let them eat cake" moment.
The health service is a mess, but to be fair, Mary Harney is at least making an attempt to straighten it out. Unlike her two predecessors, who were reluctant incumbents of the role. Micheal Martin presided over what was probably this government's most forward-thinking policy initiative - the ban on smoking ion the workplace - yet he did nothing about the nursing home crisis.
There is a potential time bomb down the road for the Education system. Provincial villages have become commuter towns overnight and their schools are reaching bursting point. There have been 2000 new houses built in Sallins, Co Kildare in the last ten years, but they still don't have a secondary school. They have to go the already overcrowded schools in Naas. We had the dreadful situation in Laytown, Co Meath, where there were no places for 90 school starters last September. Expect to see this happen more often within a semi-circle with an axis that stretches from Drogheda to Arklow.
Back in 1999, when the first National Development Plan was launched, we were promised motorway links between Dublin and all the major cities in the state by 2006. That has been revised back to 2010. The Dublin Port Tunnel was two years late, several million Euros over budget and one metre short in height. Two new LUAS lines were built in Dublin, but they did not intersect. Bordeaux built their "LUAS" at the same time as Dublin, and all three lines intersect.
Ten years into this government and still we rely on imports of oil for our energy. There has been sod all effort made at creating a policy on long-term energy security. We're lucky at the moment that the dollar is so weak. Can you imagine the price of oil if $1 was worth more than €1? This is a pressing issue and there has been virtual silence from all parties on it. We need to look at increasing dramatically our renewables, and at least talk in a rational way about the prospect of nuclear energy.
I'm going to vote for change. Ten years is long enough to be in government and get your policies implemented. After that, arrogance sets in. It's like that shit that comes out whenever a party has been in power for a long time - the opposition front bench don't have enough ministerial experience and therefore can't be trusted. Tony Blair had no experience before he became prime minister of the UK and he did alright (his role as Bush's bitch notwithstanding.)
There is also a local reason behind my decision. The party standing in Laois/Offaly after the 2002 election was FF 3, FG 1, PD 1. Four to one in favour of the current government. I don't believe that this accurately reflects the wishes of the Laois/Offaly electorate, and a 3:2 split would be more appropriate.
The policies of the various parties are broadly similar, so the decision is who is the most competent and trustworthy. FF and the PDs have produced some excellent ministers like Brian Cowen and Mary Harney. But they have also had some chumps like Noel Dempsey, Dick Roche and Martin Cullen. Hopefully FG/Lab/Greens will be a lot better at managing the country than FF/PDs. They can't be much worse.
Some might say that they can't be bothered voting, and that their vote won't make any difference. Seats have been won and lost on a handful of votes in the past, so every vote does count. I remember my father telling me about the count in Mayo last time round. I can't remember the exact details, but if a small number of votes had gone in another direction, Enda Kenny would have lost his seat and Jim Higgins would be challenging Bertie Ahern for the top job now. Instead, it was Higgins who lost his seat.
The time has come. Let's see what the other lot can do.
Go On, Yeh Boy Yeh!
21/05/07 22:39 Filed in: Election
2007
For those of
you not fortunate enough to live in the Laois-Offaly
constituency, I give you the election literature of
independent candidate extraordinaire,
John
Bracken.
Full-fat version here
More John Bracken:
But, Are Ye Ridin'? (Green Ink)
Full-fat version here
More John Bracken:
But, Are Ye Ridin'? (Green Ink)
The UnLaoised Groove Supply, Volume 11
20/05/07 23:07 Filed in: UnLaoised
Groove Supply
The UnLaoised Groove Supply, Volume 10
20/05/07 22:57 Filed in: UnLaoised
Groove Supply
Mayo Mauled
20/05/07 21:54 Filed in: Election
2007
Enda
Kenny can kiss goodbye the possibility of a
third seat in his own constituency of Mayo.
And if you are a Mayo fan and enjoy good writing on what is, ultimately, a painful and futile obsession, then the musings of Willie Joe at Green and Red will be right up your street.
[Disclaimer - Even though the site is called UnLaoised, I am actually a native of Mayo.]
And if you are a Mayo fan and enjoy good writing on what is, ultimately, a painful and futile obsession, then the musings of Willie Joe at Green and Red will be right up your street.
[Disclaimer - Even though the site is called UnLaoised, I am actually a native of Mayo.]
Election Linky Stuff
17/05/07 23:04 Filed in: Election
2007
This
election, more than any before it, is heavily
influenced by the internet. All the parties have
their sites ship-shape, and indeed most individual
candiates have their own sites and blogs on the go
too.
We have sites that seek to help us make our choice. pickyourparty.ie does this by gauging your position on various issues, assigning it a numerical value, and then comparing this with the numerical value it has evaluated for the various parties. Unlike the political compass, it is specific to Ireland and matches your opinions to a party rather than just point ot a particular political ideology.
Wait! There's More…
We have sites that seek to help us make our choice. pickyourparty.ie does this by gauging your position on various issues, assigning it a numerical value, and then comparing this with the numerical value it has evaluated for the various parties. Unlike the political compass, it is specific to Ireland and matches your opinions to a party rather than just point ot a particular political ideology.
Wait! There's More…
Election Pap
15/05/07 23:22 Filed in: Election
2007
This was
waiting for me on the mat when I came home this
evening:
Full-fat version here.
Many are predicting that Sinn Féin will achieve their long-awaited breakthrough this election, and if they do, it won't be from want of producing mindless pap. Let's take a close look at the leaflet I received today.
Wait! There's More…
Full-fat version here.
Many are predicting that Sinn Féin will achieve their long-awaited breakthrough this election, and if they do, it won't be from want of producing mindless pap. Let's take a close look at the leaflet I received today.
Wait! There's More…
Some Photos
15/05/07 22:49 Filed in: Photos
One thing I
have been meaning to do for a whole is to use the
photo page feature of Rapidweaver. It's a really nice
component of the app, and photos can be presented
either as a gallery or as a Flash slideshow. It's
also handy to be able to stay within the site rather
than to have to go out to Flickr or Photobucket.
So the first collection is an album of 29 photos taken at Emo Court, a short distance from where I live. Emo is the only private residence in Ireland to have been designed by the great Georgian architect James Gandon. Set in some beautiful parkland (which is kept impeccably by the Office of Public Works), it is a popular destination for weekend walkers.
Emo will host a major gardening exhibition during the summer, from June to September.
So the first collection is an album of 29 photos taken at Emo Court, a short distance from where I live. Emo is the only private residence in Ireland to have been designed by the great Georgian architect James Gandon. Set in some beautiful parkland (which is kept impeccably by the Office of Public Works), it is a popular destination for weekend walkers.
Emo will host a major gardening exhibition during the summer, from June to September.
Pasty Posters
14/05/07 23:23 Filed in: Election
2007
Still on the
subject of posters, I was in Cork at the weekend and
noticed something odd about the Fine Gael posters in
the South Central constituency. A good few of them
had lost their definition and had taken on a weird
pasty look. Unfortunately, I didn't have a camera to
hand, so the best I can do is give an idea using a
Photoshop filter.
Wait! There's More…
Wait! There's More…
He's Free!
14/05/07 23:17 Filed in: Election
2007
Last week, I
posted a
photo of one of Aengus Ó
Snodaigh's election posters, that I'd seen on the
Long Mile Road, under the heading "Free The Dublin
South-Central One!"
Driving up the LMR today, I noticed that it is no longer there. Maybe he has won his liberty. That's the power of a campaigning blog for ya!
Driving up the LMR today, I noticed that it is no longer there. Maybe he has won his liberty. That's the power of a campaigning blog for ya!
"Where Are You Going, With Your Fetlocks Blowing, In The … Wind?"
14/05/07 22:42 Filed in: Music
Oh dear!
Ireland's real-life "My Lovely Horse" moment came
true last Saturday night, when Dervish came last in
the Eurovision. The post-mortems have been ongoing
since then, with the performers and songwriters
taking most of the flak.
Much of the criticism is unfair, I think (as indeed is my headline.) Unlike Ted and Dougal's infamous ditty, the song wasn't expressly chosen to lose Ireland the competition. Whatever one's opinion of the song - and I hold none, because (a) even though I have heard it a couple of times, I can't actually remember anything about it, and (b) I tend not to opine on the merits or otherwise of individual Eurovision entries - there is no doubt that it was the wrong song for the occasion.
Wait! There's More…
Much of the criticism is unfair, I think (as indeed is my headline.) Unlike Ted and Dougal's infamous ditty, the song wasn't expressly chosen to lose Ireland the competition. Whatever one's opinion of the song - and I hold none, because (a) even though I have heard it a couple of times, I can't actually remember anything about it, and (b) I tend not to opine on the merits or otherwise of individual Eurovision entries - there is no doubt that it was the wrong song for the occasion.
Wait! There's More…
Housekeeping
13/05/07 23:38 Filed in: Blogging
Just back
from a couple of days R&R down Cork and Waterford
way. We left the little 'un with her granny for the
night and scuttled off to the lovely Blackwater
Valley for a relaxing night away. Great to recharge
the batteries.
I have just tidied up my fancy Blogroll, adding a few new links into the mix. If you would like a link from there to your site, drop me a line.
Una kindly recommended this site in her piece in the Tribune's election coverage. I'll have to start writing something then, I suppose. Hmmm, maybe tomorrow...
I have just tidied up my fancy Blogroll, adding a few new links into the mix. If you would like a link from there to your site, drop me a line.
Una kindly recommended this site in her piece in the Tribune's election coverage. I'll have to start writing something then, I suppose. Hmmm, maybe tomorrow...
Scoop
10/05/07 00:06 Filed in: General
Nonsense
Common Sense Prevails
09/05/07 22:40 Filed in: Politics
Thankfully.
No excuse, pols. We can't keep going to the courts every time a situation like this comes up. We have had several referenda on the subject of abortion.
Legislate, and be done with it.
No excuse, pols. We can't keep going to the courts every time a situation like this comes up. We have had several referenda on the subject of abortion.
Legislate, and be done with it.
Less Is More (Irritating)
08/05/07 23:35 Filed in: Election
2007
via
Semper Idem
An excerpt from Seamus Brennan's rebuttal of the Fine Gael manifesto:
Jesus wept! At least get your grammar right, man!
Fewer Gardaí. Fewer acute beds.
Why can't people get that one right?
An excerpt from Seamus Brennan's rebuttal of the Fine Gael manifesto:
Implementation of the Fine Gael Manifesto would deliver 1,000 less Gardai onto our streets and 1,500 less acute beds in our hospitals, than the Fianna Fáil option.
Jesus wept! At least get your grammar right, man!
Fewer Gardaí. Fewer acute beds.
Why can't people get that one right?
Can We Just Resolve This Now, Please?
08/05/07 22:45 Filed in: Politics
I was 17 when
the abortion referendum
was passed
in 1983. Obviously, I didn't have a vote, but I
still vehemently opposed the amendment to the
Constitution.
Today, another 17-year-old is having to live with the nonsense of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. Miss D, who was herself born six years after its passing, is being prevented from leaving the State in order to procure a termination of pregnancy. The foetus she is carrying has a condition that means it will die as soon as it is born.
Wait! There's More…
Today, another 17-year-old is having to live with the nonsense of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution. Miss D, who was herself born six years after its passing, is being prevented from leaving the State in order to procure a termination of pregnancy. The foetus she is carrying has a condition that means it will die as soon as it is born.
Wait! There's More…
Whaaa?
08/05/07 22:25 Filed in: Politics
What sort of
libel laws do we have where Monica Leech can
be awarded €250k in her case against
RTE?
If an RTE reporter stood outside the Department of Transport and made the allegation in question live on the 9 o'clock news, the it might be justified. But what happened was that a caller to Joe Duffy's Liveline made a lewd remark regarding Ms Leech and Minister Martin Cullen. The caller was cut off straight away, and Duffy and RTE distanced themselves from the comment immediately.
Were RTE at fault? Maybe, for not screening the callers. But as the person who made the allegation had no connection with RTE, then surely this award is excessive.
A few thousand at most would have been more appropriate.
If an RTE reporter stood outside the Department of Transport and made the allegation in question live on the 9 o'clock news, the it might be justified. But what happened was that a caller to Joe Duffy's Liveline made a lewd remark regarding Ms Leech and Minister Martin Cullen. The caller was cut off straight away, and Duffy and RTE distanced themselves from the comment immediately.
Were RTE at fault? Maybe, for not screening the callers. But as the person who made the allegation had no connection with RTE, then surely this award is excessive.
A few thousand at most would have been more appropriate.
Political Cliché No 95: "Politics Is The Art Of The Possible"
08/05/07 22:03 Filed in: Politics
Free RapidWeaver
07/05/07 23:16 Filed in: Mac
I'm a big fan
of RealMacSoftware's RapidWeaver web creation tool, so
much so that I use it to create this site.
Normally it costs $40, but you can snag a free
licenced copy by purchasing this month's
MacUser magazine.
Alternatively, you can go to my Mac blog and I'll show you how to get it easier than that.
Alternatively, you can go to my Mac blog and I'll show you how to get it easier than that.
The UnLaoised Groove Supply, Volume 9
07/05/07 23:08 Filed in: UnLaoised
Groove Supply
Nothing from
YouTube this time.
Wilco release their new album "Sky Blue Sky" next week and are kindly allowing fans to preview it in its entirety on their site.
Wilco release their new album "Sky Blue Sky" next week and are kindly allowing fans to preview it in its entirety on their site.
Political Cliché No 94: "A Week Is A Long Time In Politics"
07/05/07 22:42 Filed in: Election
2007
And so it has
proven to be in the last seven days. Bertie's
campaign, having gotten off to a bizarre start with
the early-Sunday-morning dash to The Park, has
descended into farce. Michael McDowell's press
conference yesterday has pretty much put the kybosh
on the PDs going back into government with an
Ahern-led FF. In truth, yesterday's press conference
has effectively brought McDowell's brief tenure at
the helm of the PDs to an end. He admitted to have
been sold a pup by Bertie Ahern last year, and so his
credibility is in shreds.
This election is now Fine Gael/Labour's to lose. If they do lose it, then they might as well just give up and go home.
This election is now Fine Gael/Labour's to lose. If they do lose it, then they might as well just give up and go home.
FREE THE DUBLIN SOUTH CENTRAL ONE!
02/05/07 22:43 Filed in: Election
2007
