Dirty old man – really old, pretty much dead in fact

// November 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

How come in the coverage of the Twilight books and movies that while almost everyone talking up the sexual abstinence angle (you know like, it’s such a positive message to young people) that next to no one notices that it’s a hundred year old plus man who just happens to be in a teenager’s body who is lusting after a teenage girl? Is that a message we want young girls to pick up on too? Yes, you should go for a much older guy who looks good, hangs around the school system even though he’s got no use for the book learning therein and appears to know so much about the world at large.

Alerting people to floods and other emergencies

// November 23rd, 2009 // 5 Comments » // technology

Amazing that a) there appears to have been no means to alert people (not just officials) in Cork city in time that the dam were to be let out and b) that there appear in many cases to have been no local or building specific plans put into effect to deal with a deluge, the Mercy hospital being a notable exception. In dealing with a) we should say there is in fact a cell broadcast facility in mobile phone technology that would have allowed everyone with a mobile defined by cells to be notified that the dam was about to let out and to take action accordingly. Sure, local radio is very popular in more rural areas but the mentality wherever you happen to be that you should be sat by the radio to ensure that you hear about the warning is utterly arse over backwards. Why the state in awarding mobiles licences doesn’t make use of the access to the network in emergencies is beyond me.

As for b) taking the city library in Cork as an example, what was the action plan that building had for dealing with emergencies? Books in boxes moved to higher ground would have taken a few hours with 15/20 people and saved tens of thousands. Its like they say about having your own fire plans for your home, if there is an alarm then know what is it you are going to do when it sounds . And I don’t even want to think about the Glucksman basement. Was there no one available or responsible for ensuring the contents were safely stored given the forecast.

AIB’s new man – it’s a bit French isn’t it?

// November 19th, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

From now on, we should incorporate a new phrase into our discourse, “that’s a bit French” meaning something so blatantly dodgy that you can’t believe that they’ve gotten away with it. Thierry Henry hand passed the ball across the goal mouth to William Gallas in a manner that Gooch Cooper would have been proud of and AIB have managed to appoint someone from their inner circle despite the government saying that doing so wouldn’t be remotely acceptable. It’s so in your face it’s hard to believe that they even bothered trying it not to mind that they’ve gotten away with it.

So we should honour such behaviour with the phrase when confronted with such barefaced “a bit French” as in “that’s a bit French” or “isn’t that a bit French?”.

Recommended reading

// November 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

I have been meaning to update my blog roll for a while now and rather than wait for a comprehensive collection, I’m going to just dole out these few to start with.

Without further ado, I give you a D and an E: Deirdre and Elaine. Dee was formally of Celtic Donkey, and can be found cracking the whip at the Cork Independent these days and would be a mildly socially left leaning political agnostic if my guess is right. But my guesses aren’t always on the money. Still a solidly good read.

Elaine is earning a crust trying to make honest politicians out of students in TCD while posting a weekly column in the Irish times. A recent column prompted a fairly comprehensive response via the blog. This is something that would not be possible with the column or via a newspaper and illustrates really well one of the great strengths of a blog; the opportunity to go in to loads of details and link directly to accessible sources.

Another recent D is Donnacha who is (whisper it) a FFer (God help us) but he’s writing some interesting stuff even if some of it can read like a defence of the government at times. Still know your enemy and all that.