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A flexible library service for the 21st century?
Following Alan’s piece on libraries, I picked this ‘advertorial’ from Google plus this evening… about how a US county library system is cutting costs and improving flexibility in their free at the point of delivery services by enabling the whole library service act as a functioning unit as opposed to the one discrete library… read our review » -
The lost art of reading (or drowning in too much information)…
Here’s a great review of a fascinating book (H/T reader Rory) on how the Internet is destroying our capacity for intelligent, focused and critical thought. It opens thus: …here is the news that Ulin brings in this slim, meandering book: that reading is “an act of contemplation”; that such an act becomes more difficult in [...] read our review »
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…if University education were universally available and availed of, the country would collapse in one generation
The words of Brian O’Nolan, variously Brian Ó Nualláin, Myles na gCopaleen, Myles na Gopaleen and, of course, Flann O’Brien. That O’Nolan was referencing his own dissolute student days at UCD only mildly distracts from the prophetic undertone of his words: I paid no attention whatsoever to books or study and regarded lectures as a [...] read our review »
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Comment on Ending co-terminosity
on 29 April 2012 at 7:26 pm
Stormont derives its legislative competence from the Westminster Parliament and it makes sense for its multi-member constituencies to be based on Westminster seats. The councils are subsidiary creatures of Stormont and it is hardly appropriate to make their structure the architecture for Stormont seats. Removing the Stormont architecture from the Westminster architecture is one more step away from the principle of the union of the United KIngdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and is more backdoor creeping Irishism. We should keep the electoral system simple as at present and not detach our structures from Westminster structures.
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 26 April 2012 at 9:28 am
Harryaswell – Irony obviously escapes you but as you appear to be a loyal Cameron voter I suppose I can expect no more. I was merely comparing the situation in the Tory Party and UUP. We are clearly not all in this together. The UUP is usually supposed to be more relaxed on discipline than the Tories, who are traditionally supposed to be tight in that area. It would appear that the UUP is now more draconian – all rules and no policies. Soon it will be all Chiefs and no Indians.
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 24 April 2012 at 4:17 pm
What will happen to Nadine Dorries MP after her remarks about PM Cameron and Chancellor Osborne describing them as two arrogant posh boys who wouldn’t know the price of a pint of milk. Will she be exiled from the Conservative Party for 9 months as David McNarry has been fro the Ulster Unionist Party ?
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 22 April 2012 at 1:52 am
Sure it is. How else can someone who has been a party member for less than 2 years become its leader ? It certaintly ain’t logical.
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 21 April 2012 at 7:32 pm
Spot on Ben – a good analysis. The esbitt backers worked out how McNarry would react and he played right into their hands. Another thing I would say is – always follow the money. Who gains most in this reshuffle ? Could it be the new Special Adviser to Danny Kennedy who will be paid about £80k- £90 K per year ? Even more than the Minister. Kennedy is a dead man walking. He has now had Joanne Dobson foisted on him. Only a matter of time until Nesbitt puts in Kinahan or takes the Ministerial job himself. No question now but that Nicholson is also a dead man walking. My other comments that Nesbitt’s UUP now seeks to occupy Alliance ground though there is no evidence that there is any ground there to occupy. This will drive traditional unionists to either bstain or vote DUP next time. Anoter thing In think would be profitable would be to examine the links between Nesbitt and his backers and the Tory party – not locally but in England. That might turn up some surprises. We shoud also be examining exactly who is who the new UUP leadership and who they connect with.
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 20 April 2012 at 10:56 am
I’m no apologist for McNarry but he deserved better after 40 years service to the UUP. His treatment is meant to inspire fear in all who oppose the clique aroud Nesbitt. The UUP is now a cold house for traditional unionists. In all of this they forget one thing. Without traditional unionists the UUP is nothing. It is just another Alliance Party. At least the Alliance Party can attract both Catholic and Proestant votes. When the 80 seat Assembly comes, it will be the end for the UUP. They will have on my claculation about half a dozen seats left. The prospectMcNarry offered of a close wotking relationship with the DUP was the ONLY way forward for the UUP. As has been said McCallister’s vision was a shot in the dark and Nesbitt’s vision is only of himself.
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 19 April 2012 at 11:20 am
Sorry Ryan – Bill Manwaring has already defected to Conservatives. By the way, has anyone heard what happened to the other two UUP people being charged with indiscipline alongside McNarry? Have they been punished ? Who are they ? Is teh assumption that this referes to Basil McCrea and McCallister ?
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Comment on More internal plots inside the UUP?
on 18 April 2012 at 3:56 pm
The purge going on inside the UUP has been in progress since before the time of the last Assembly elections. There was a major effort then to deselect some of the sitting traditional UUP MLA’s. The irony is that some of those selected to replace them have departed from the UUP now themselves after they failed to get elected – McCauley, Bradshaw, Ringland, Hamilton and so on. So Jim Nicholson was the obvious next target and despite their denials the MLA’s named in the Dublin newspaper – Jo-Anne Dobson and Basil McCrea are firmly in the frame to replace Nicholson. My money would be on Dobson because of her farming links and because she links directly to Nesbitt. She came out in support of Nesbitt very quickly. He has already appointed her as Assembly Private Sec to Danny Kennedy who in increasingly looking like a prisoner of Nesbitt. It’s cat and mouse. Nesbitt will toy with Kennedy like a cat with a mouse until the moment to get rid of him comes. Probably that will be this October. Nesbitt would probably consider Basil McCrea too much of a loose canon for MEP in any case. It would give him control of £150k a year of expenses – too much patronage. The buddies McCrea and McCallister have failed in leadership bids twice now.It is only a matter of time until Nesbitt dumps them both. They are a spent force.
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Comment on Matt Baggot on the accusation of uneven treatment of witnesses by the HET…
on 7 April 2012 at 10:42 am
Trouble with Boston Tapes ? Then take the heat off with the Lundy “report” on evidence taking in the HET. Well worn formula is it not ? Its the academic equivalent of a local riot when the PSNI raid an area to arrest suspected terrorists. Surely in the interests of academic integrity, Lundy should have included PSNI responses and answers to her allegatrions in her report. This is the wors kind of academic practice and throws her neutrality in serious doubt.
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Comment on Hell hath no fury like a McNarry spurned?
on 4 April 2012 at 3:11 pm
Heard that Mike Nesbitt may be suffering fromn AVB syndrome. Andre Villas Boas was Chelsea FC manager who sacked all his experienced players. He ended by getting he sack himself. I am sure Mike Nesbitt will not go the same way.
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