Cheers Meghan. I enjoyed writing this actually - a trip down memory lane Funny about the Tiger's Bay guy - still, takes all sorts. I'm still not sure how yesterday went, as my parents are in Dublin for the festivities
Mano I think we were all affected in varying degrees - either directly, or in a 'there but for the grace of God' way. I know what you mean in not capitulating to terrorists, however... I know that Northern Ireland, flawed as the peace is, is further along through Sinn Féin being wedded to politics. Very different situations, obviously. Suz <TABLE cellpadding=8 width="95%" align=center bgColor=#FFF394 class="mb-Body-Quot
Far too kind... thank you.
I was reading a report in the papers today about the international reaction to the London bombings. The Spanish are in turn bemused, impressed or disgusted at the lack of emotion being shown by the people of London as they get back on with their lives; no day of mourning, no spontaneous outpouring of grief, no cathartic gatherings of people to memorialise the dead and
Pictures can be worth a thousand words, but I’ve been lucky enough in the past to receive photographs that my friends have thoughtfully captioned. I happened upon a couple of these a few days ago. One of me in ‘stage three of being drunk’ brought a smile (stage three, by the way, is pink. Stages 1 – 5 are: pink, white, pink, white and pink. We try not to go to stage 6
The start of the G8 meetings coinciding with American Independence Day throws up some interesting ideas. With President Bush on the verge of acknowledging the impact of humankind on climate change, and the necessity to address global warming (albeit in a manner unfavoured by the European representatives); and the images of poverty currently being beamed around the wor
Thanks very much I don't think the English are cold fish - I've met a few but they aren't representative of all the warm fish I know. But I think that the Irish/Northern Irish have a much more coherent identity than the English currently do. Potentially, there is a feeling that should someone leave, their absence will contribute to jeopardising their nation's ability to persist
Well, whatever assuages the guilt
I’m back in Northern Ireland for a brief holiday before my new job starts. Although it’s only been about a month since I was here, the longer I spend away, the more detached I feel from my homeland. It was played out today in its most obvious way; spending a couple of hours in Belfast before traveling to my parents’ home, I bumped into 2 people on the stree
If you look at the end of my piece, you'll see that I said that we have a long, long way to go. The Saudis abstained on the 1948 vote to enact this, along with 7 others - they didn't vote against these rights. China voted for it, along with the US, Egypt and 45 other countries (there were only 58 countries in the UN in those days). There was consensus then, but the bloody actions of the latter 20th Century both negate from the declaration, and
yep. go pawsox. The designated hitter ruined baseball It is seen as naive. Which is sad, and presents a huge challenge to the journalists of tomorrow, as how can they hold governments to account if the public don't care. It's as if this whole idea of a better, more ethical way of doing things has fallen by the wayside. why is the public so unshockable though? Why is it
Bakerstreet No one agrees on rights, so the idea that universal rights is a no-brainer is silly. Many countries have been committed enough to the principle of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to sign up to it, so perhaps it is less 'silly' than you think. <TABLE cellpadding=8
Cheers Meghan I had a similar reaction, especially as the crowd were mostly English and a few years ago this would have been considered a protest song agains their government's actions.. However, the enormity of the venue and the amount of people singing the song reinforced the enormity of the deed and the message for me. But I don't think you were necessarily overanalysing - my inital reaction was that the situation was ironic, before being s
Will REM make a difference to the junta in Burma? Partial achievement of aims might be enough to scar a generation from getting involved in this kind of thing again,
Do you remember watching footage of Beatles’ concerts from the 1960s? I was always incredulous at the state that those poor girls managed to work themselves into about a few young guys in suits and bad haircuts. The sheer exuberance seemed to me reminiscent of a very innocent world, where such adulation was based upon proximity to superstars – a reverence the celebrit
No, that's a fair point. Hard to know -- pampleteers back in the 16th century still had a point to prove, even if it was just to give a voice to those who disagreed with the monarch or the church. I think there has always been individual journalists who seek the truth, but with the advent of media conglomerates, dissenting voices are more likely to be stifled - or else sucked into the system. Thanks for commenting!
There was a time when journalists aspired to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. To inform rather than to advise. To educate rather than assimilate. We can no longer take the news as something that is factual and disinterested. The era of spin and the corporation has put paid to that. Whether owned by Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, or another f
A few months ago, I attended a debate regarding the war in Iraq. It was hosted by a left of centre newspaper, but had genuine divisions of opinions between the debaters. I enjoyed it on a number of levels, one of which being that I got to shake someone’s hand and make a fellow blogger green with envy in the process :) Accounts were given about the condition
Hmmm... I can see how you can see him as hypocritical. He pisses me off a lot too, but more by how he says things than what he's saying. Here's the thing though. There has been a number of reasons given for "operation Iraqi freedom". The WMDs being awol, humanitarian reasons have been promoted as the key issue at stake - ridding the Iraqi people of a tyrant. OK. Humanitarian missions are supposed to normalise things, provide those in
Thanks very much, both of you. Too kind, I'm embarrassed now I told him that I didn't think it was an appropriate comparison, given the scale of these things, but left it there. I saved the righteous indignation for JU... If someone's going to think like that, me being snotty with them isn't going to change their minds - or it might just reinforce stereotypes about red headed Ir
grand there is still 2/3s of the national gallery to see, if I remember correctly.....
There are certain thoughts which make me feel very old. One such notion crossed my mind in Amsterdam the other day, whilst staring at paintings in the Rijksmuseum. Why is it, I pondered, that when kids learn art in school, they are told to draw around their feet and colour in the shape, or attempt to replicate a pear. Why are they not told why this is important, or fi
Roughly half of the jobs I have gone for in the past have eluded me, and the ratio continues. Last week I had two interviews, one successful, one less so. And despite feeling perfectly happy – the people I am due to work for in the next few weeks clearly have better taste – like the itch that begs to be scratched, there was a little feeling of ‘why’; or ‘wh
I can’t count the amount of blogs that I’ve started recently, only to hit the delete button in disgust. Everything I’ve started writing has had a ‘poor me’ quality, an aspect of blogging that is sadly prevalent but not something I aspire to. Moaning about my job situation, my forthcoming unemployment, my ‘what should I do with my life?’ issues – none appeal; nor
An old Arab had been living close to New York City for more than 40 years. He wanted to plant potatoes in his garden but he was alone, old and weak. His son was in college in Paris, so the old man sent him an e-mail explaining his problem: "Beloved son, I am very sad because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only y
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