Mick was informed a few weeks ago and this is to let the rest of you know that I will ceasing to be a Slugger blogger in the next few months. I intend to stand down when I reach 1000 blogs which I estimate to be about November/December time. I may continue with occasional articles for Slugger as I do for the Our Kingdom blog.
Great little review of Listening to Van Morrison by Griel Marcus… It’s a short book, not a biography or a career survey, but an attempt to follow those moments in Morrison’s music, as he’s made it from his first records with Them, from Belfast in 1965 to the present day, when something happens that breaks [...] read our review »
It’s not published until 3rd March, but one book I recommend you place an advance order for from Slugger’s Bookstore is James Harkin’s Niche. Belfast émigré Harkin examines a number of stories from business, culture and politics and comes to a single insight: everywhere the broad middle is collapsing. He offers Woolworths as an iconic exemplar [...] read our review »
Thanks Fair Deal for all the blogs.
You’ll be missed. I thought you always constructed a very good case for the points you were trying to make. I hope it is a case of moving on to bigger and better things. Good luck in any case.
FD
Good luck and keep blogging, at least our abbreviations won’t get confused anymore
FD
Hey Fair Deal,
I’m not sure what the point of this blog is, maybe you want 100 comments asking you not to go? Frankly I can’t see that happening.
You were a OK blogger, nothing spectacular but still well done to you for your dedication.
Another Unionist blogger gone from Slugger can’t be good in the long run.
Thaks FD for your efforts at trying to promote a wider understanding of NI ‘politics’ . I’ve always felt you were constructive in approach .
I’ll be sorry to see you go FD. Your contribution to Slugger has been very good. I only hope that someone of your ability, and viewpoint, comes forward to replace you.
Not to get mawkish about this, but I’m sorry to see FD go. He’s been a real asset to the blog and I know that he’s been responsible for setting a few important talking points off line as well as the more public online threads here on Slugger.
I’m grateful to all our bloggers for as much as anything else just keeping going (anyone who has tried it will know just what I mean when I say that!).
As for Unionist bloggers, I am always open to bids. We have a southern blogger coming on board in the next day or two as a result of my video pitch on Saturday: http://url.ie/rbx
FD this was a surprise, I’ll be sorry to see you go. Good luck at what ever it is you take up, and hopefully you’ll still be around with the odd comment.
Good Luck FD – our politics will never agree but you stood your ground well and argued your point rationally.
I pop into slugger less and less frequently now, but will still be sad to see you go FD.
I should add you’ve substantially changed my view of Unionists in general and Orangemen in particular. Of the latter group I would previously have associated them with the KKK, to be honest, whereas you have consistently struck me as a broad minded and positive thinker.
As Henry says, i hope you’re going on to bigger and better things.
Actually can I ask – what prompts your decision?
FD was a great blogger.
I would say that the one thing any blogger can do of value is to alter people’s perceptions. Sometimes, especially here in NI, the most that can be hoped for is to make your opponent understand your point.
But to actually change someone else’s argument through debate is an achievement. A couple of times you managed it with me FD, and I’m a lot more aware of the Unionist perspective than I was. For this I offer thanks.
Fair Deal – as others have said, well done on your contributions to this blog over the years and best wishes for the future. I guess our paths will still cross occasionally at OurKingdom.
FD has announced his retirement.
Good luck to him and best wishes for the future.
I would like to announce that I have no intention to Blog.
How about “Fair Deal blogs off” as a headline?
Back in the day when you were only a lowly commentor and I had only discovered Slugger I remember having a discussion with you once about the union jack. It was honestly the first time I ever had the chance to exchange with a unionist in a friendly environment about the importance of symbols and what they mean to our different traditions and was probably the reason why I kept coming back to slugger – so cheers for that FD. Even if you return to us lazies here in the cheap seats I’m still looking forward to read what you have to say.
Since you started blogging here proper I’ve had the feeling the conflicting textures in unionism have become more apparent and reflected by the blogging here too. With M. Shilliday on one side and Turgon on the other you were under fire from elements of the unionist camp and the republican camp – par for the course I suppose.
Still of all the unionist bloggers your particular contributions will be missed. Often infuriating or deliberately provocative but usually to the point and informative. I don’t think I ever agreed with you but at least i had an idea where you were coming from. Good luck!
Any chance of getting a working class, post-violence, thinking loyalist blogger as a replacement Mick?
All the best FD.
All
Thank you for the kind words. It has been challenging and fun. Learnt plenty from you all.
Andy
“Actually can I ask – what prompts your decision?”
It’s not just slugger I have cut back but my voluntary work as well. It is a combination of little things – family, projects I wish to progress and career. There wasn’t or will not be enough time to do them all so I had to just sit down and pick a few.
circles
“How about “Fair Deal blogs off” as a headline?”
I’ll use that for the 1000th sign off blog. Always feel more comfortable in the cheap seats
That’s a real shame FD, I will miss reading your insightful and very constructive contributions. I hope you will continue to give us a report of your day on the 12th.
Shame – considered (if misguided) stuff always – but to pre-empt Sammy M…. Feck off you big fat Prod! – (don’t mean it and I know we’ll have your 12th blog every year…)
“I know that he’s been responsible for setting a few important talking points off line as well as the more public online threads here on Slugger.”
Mick
Not sure what you could mean here, leaving fair deal out of it, what are you saying, blogging is a mere adjacent of corrupt politicos or media apparachicks who can pick up scraps from our table and discuss them in smoke filled rooms away from the prying eyes of the electorate.
Time you got back to what you do best and stopped trying to pick up scraps from the Westminster and Stormont table.
Fair Deal
Despite our both being unionists I always seemed to find myself disagreeing with you as much as agreeing with you.
All in all I think that’s a good thing. Thanks for your contributions to this Blog, you will be missed.
all the best fair-deal, I thought you tried hard to move the situation forward here in Norn Iron.
One of the good guys
Adios FD. Concur with all of the positive posts above. We were poles apart in outlook but I enjoyed and respected your contributions nonetheless.
FD,
What’s this? I’ve just finished my self-study of baronian architecture and now you’re leaving?
Best of luck to you!
Good luck with normal life! You’ve served you time!
FD hope all goes well in your selected ventures, pity slugger had to take the hit, you’ll be missed. Be sure to drop back every now and again with the rest of us backbenchers. Slán agus beannacht.
Weel, I’ll be sorry to see FD go. It isn’t easy keeping you lot occupied when you should be working. I’ve been easing back a bit meself lately thanks to Baby Gonzo, though I note he has been bashing the keyboard with some determination when I’m reading Fair Deal posts…
Hopefully see you tonight at the awards for a last hurrah.
Any chance of getting a working class, post-violence, thinking loyalist blogger as a replacement Mick?
Posted by circles
Now that would be a step forward and there are plenty of articulate working class loyalists out there, it is just with the GFA the old big house mentality has returned.
Although I see no need for them to claim to be post violence, as many unionists politicos still proclaim when in their cups or amongst their own, that the best place for republicans is in the ground.
Fair Deal
Thanks for your work.
Mick