Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Slugger Awards 2008: Best MLA
As August comes to a close, we announce the last couple of Slugger Awards categories. The late David Ervine MLA might have been an obvious and popular candidate for this award – because of his ability to transcend the normal babble of day-to-day politics, to cross from the boundaries of his Loyalism (he often polled as the most trusted unionist, by nationalists) and to communicate articulately (some commented that he often spoke too articulately, and teased about his having ‘swallowed a dictionary’. I know more than one colleague who signed up to http://dictionary.reference.com/ for their learned ‘word of the day’ in Davy’s honour!)
So, you have 108 to choose from – leaders, ministers, speakers, humble backbenchers, they come in all shapes and sizes, colours and flavours. Who has caught your eye? Now remember you already have been taking advantage of your opportunity to nominate for Stormont Committee Chair of the Year and theoretically there might be other overlaps – Councillor, Participation, Blogger awards spring to mind…
How do we measure the performance of our politicians with any objectivity – that’s the question. Already judges have been taken by those of you big enough to make nominations form your own party of choice and then from another. Mark McGregor’s admirable praise of Jim Allister’s political skills (albeit not his political position) stands as a worthy credit; others have joined in. Let’s have more of that.
Eight parties (Alliance, DUP, Green Party, Independent Health Coalition, PUP, SDLP, SF and UUP, not to forget Independent MLA, Gerry McHugh) are ploughing their furrows with varying degrees of diligence. Attendance matters, but more important to the voter, probably, is delivery… who has changed something, promoted a new idea, challenged an orthodoxy or inspired with their oratory?
If we are to imagine a Belfast or rural omnibus, about whom would the passengers be talking? Who would inspire a transfer at the next Assembly elections across that strong invisible community barrier?
You have all been behaving rather well in recent days on the positivity register – indeed I have had feedback from some ‘lurkers’ about standards on this Slugger Awards site rising, to their obvious pleasure – so don’t hold back from your creative and imaginative ways of giving credit where credit is due, and by implication, less to certain others.
And remember the last Award of all will allow you to elevate some more trenchant and critical analysis of our public and elected servants, so hold your collective breaths a little more yet!
Mick Fealty @ 01:20 PM
Is there a separate award for minister of the year Mick? If not, Margaret Ritchie. For standing up to some of the more outlandish nonsense, while also trying to improve the quantity of social housing, and promote integrated housing.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 01:37 PM“If Sinn Fein are going to the beauty parlour then why can’t we all go to the beauty parlour?” he said regarding SF talking to the Brits while everyone was ignoring the loyalists circa 95. For that line alone, he gets my vote.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 01:41 PMI can only recall one Private Members Bill, the Carers Allowance by David McNarry.
Can anyone advise if there have been others.
If its the only one he gets my vote.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 02:09 PMBa mhaith liom Dominic Ó Brollacháin a ainmniú de bhrí gurb é an úrlabhra is fearr sa tionól ar son na Gaeilge.
An dá fhadhb a bheadh agam leis ná nach deir sé an rud ceanna i mBéarla is a deir sé i nGaeilge agus go labhraíonn sé minic go leor ar bhonn pearsánta nuair is léir nach mbeadh tacaíocht a pháirtí aige.
Sin ráite is maith liom é agus cuireann sé an bhrú agus an náire ar Shinn Féin ar cheist na Gaeilge.
Is é an t-aon duine sa SDLP a bheinn sásta vota ar bith a thabhairt dó.
1. Dominic Ó Brollacháin
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 02:14 PMMartina Anderson will be getting my vote her energy, workload and committment to Derry and its people is outstanding.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 02:42 PMGGN, it’s just plain bad manners to intentionally say something in a language when you know the *large* majority of the people who will hear or read you won’t understand what you’ve just said.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 02:53 PMRooster,
The subject of my nomination is quite clear and was aimed soley at the propreiter of this site and the author of the above blog, Mr. Mick Fealty, who is capable of understanding what I said.
It is not my intention to direct my comments to anyone else and my comments are merely a response to the invitation above.
Thank you for taking the time to voice your concerns.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:02 PM“It is not my intention to direct my comments to anyone else and my comments are merely a response to the invitation above” - and, rather than, er, posting on a thread, you didn’t use email because? Which is to say, stow your disingenuous nonsense, you were being as boorishly rude as somebody British would be if they suddenly turned up posting, in English, on a Francophone thread. Manners maketh man, lack of them all too sadly maketh far too many gaeilge ‘advocates.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:07 PMRooster,
The linguistic policy of this website is a matter for Mr. Fealty and not the subject of this thread. I have broken no rules here.
I will not be responding to your points as that is not the subject of the thread.
Again, I thank you for making your feelings known to me.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:17 PMSorry to be a pain but are the nominations for best COUNCILLOR closed now? I couldn’t post on the relevant thread
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:19 PMA magnificently po-faced response, but utterly irrelevant. This isn’t a matter of other peoples rules, it’s a matter of your manners. As I say, you’ve behaved exactly as boorishly as a monoglot Anglophone would have if he or she had turned up and starting blaring on in English in eg a Francophone thread. I actually suspect you know you were - yes, probably unthinkingly - rude, but are simply too prideful/stubborn to admit that now. Oh well. Your behaviour should not of course be falsely extrapolated outwards to draw any wider reflections upon the nature of the advocates of gaeilge - one bad apple etc etc.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:27 PMwhile I normally look with sadness to stormont I still feel I am able to put that to the side for a minute to nominate the UUP’s Basil McCrea. He is a breath of fresh air within politics, have always found him to be very honest and tolerant.
As I say, breath of fresh air.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 03:34 PMAontaím gur cheart gradam éigin a thabhairt do Dominic Bradley ón SDLP mar gheall ar an seasamh láidir atá aige féin go pearsanta ar cheist na Gaeilge.
Is iomaí duine sa dá pháirtí Aontachtacha a bhfuil ‘frithghradam’ tuilte acu as a naimhdeas don teanga dhúchais.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:06 PMRG,
“seasamh láidir atá aige féin go pearsanta ar cheist na Gaeilge”
Seadh, ach nuair a labharaíonn sé i mBéarla is léir go bhfuil sé ag caint ar son an SDLP ar chursaí teagan ACH is soiléir nach bhfuil sé ach ag caint ar a shon fhéin agus é ag caint i nGaeilge.
Tá sé féin radacach cumasach ar son na Gaeilge gan amhrás, sin an fáth a chuir mé ainm s’aige chun tosaigh ach ní bheadh sé ceart an rud ceanna a smaoineadh fán a pháirtí, i mo thuairmse cibé ar bith.
Ba chóir dom a rá go ndéanann sé obair mhaith don a thoghcheantar féin ach nach dtaitníonn na hionsuithe gan chiall a dhéanann sé ar Shinn Féin ar chúiseanna polaitiúla amháin.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:15 PMEt tota spes mea non nisi in magna misericordia tua. Da quod iubes et iube quod vis. Imperas nobis continentiam. Et cum scirem, ait quidam, quia nemo potest esse continens, nisi deus det, et hoc ipsum erat sapientiae, scire cuius esset hoc donum. Per continentiam quippe colligimur et redigimur in unum, a quo in multa defluximus. minus enim te amat qui tecum aliquid amat, quod non propter te amat. o amor, qui semper ardes et numquam extingueris, caritas, deus meus, accende me! Continentiam iubes: da quod iubes et iube quod vis.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:20 PMI’m, a noob and I bet this is well-retrodden ground here, but wouldn’t it be better to call the award *most effective* or *most distinguished* MLA? “Best” implies “doing the most good,” something that you can’t really coherently attribute to someone whose basic goals you oppose. It’s easier to recognize someone from the “other” side as effective, so this might get a less partisan response, which I take to be the whole point.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:31 PM>Et tota spes mea non nisi in magna
>misericordia tua.Darned irredentist!
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:33 PMEn général je vais utiliser comme critère les personnes qui peuvent débattre sans le lire leurs notes et sans rendre les choses mortelles ennuyeux. Il ya donc seulement un petit nombre de députés qui seraient admissibles.
Sur le côté UUP Je voudrais suggérer Basil McCrea pour livening choses un peu. D’autres parties des principaux digne de proposition d’inscription comprennent Alban Maginnis d’efficacité, Barry McEldiff pour le divertissement, David Ford pour naître de sérieux points d’opposition et de prendre au sérieux, et Peter Wier pour son style bien à débattre.
Je ne suis pas la nomination des ministres que c’est de cette manière que je suis en terpreting ce concours.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:42 PMDolores Kelly - I don’t know of any other MLA who has had to endure physical pain for their work this year. On Policing Board as well. Actually just been reminded would need to mention SF’s Daithi McKay for the same reasons. Maybe should include Paisley jr, he suffered plenty of pain this year too! Just not sure if you could say that was physical… although maybe self-inflicted!
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 04:45 PMDo politicians in the north now have policies about Latin or French? Or are they now fluent in these languages?
Just wondering…
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 05:07 PMCatriona Ruane utalja Sammy-t es ezert, szerintem, Sammy Wilson a legjobb kepviselo Eszak Irorszagban.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 05:41 PMMethu peidio a gwneud cyfraniad. Margaret R certainly made waves - it’s a b it difficult to suggest the best as the whole body seems more than a little dysfunctional. Early days I suppose.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 05:48 PMSílm go bhfuil bualadh bos mór tuilte ag duine ar bith a bhíonn ag iarraidh an ghaeilge agus chúis na gaeilge a chuir chun tosaigh taobh isitgh den tionól.
I dtaca le sin sílm gur chomhair Gearóid Mac Adhaimh a luaidh mar gheall ar úsaid na ghaeilge agus dian-oibre ata ar bon aige chun Acht na Gaeilge a bhaint amach.
Tá Barra Mac Giolla Duibh i gcónaí suimiúl agus é ag caint sa tionól.
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 06:04 PMdavy ervine r u having a sick laugh!!
he knew who was responsible for the u.v.f. killings since the u.v.f. “ceasefire” but denied the u.v.f. commited the killings. he covered up for british agents in his ranks and worked for bunter graham u.v.f. leader/british agent. davy also drank with known drug dealers and covered for family to deal drugs. he led lisa dorrian family down a dark alley by giving them false info on lisa’s death. i could go on and on and on.
DAVY “DENIAL” ERVINE WHAT A GUY????
ROT IN HELL FOR COVERING UP MURDER AFTER MURDER!!!Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 06:08 PMI wish to nominate Billy Armstrong as MLA of the year. He knows all about avoiding planning laws,how to keep all your allowances in the family and how to avoid paying rates on your property. What a man!!!!!!!!
Posted by on Aug 28, 2008 @ 06:19 PM
