Slugger O'Toole

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Latest comments from BluesJazz (see all)

BluesJazz has commented 966 times (32 in the last month).

1. Comment on “the current system is inefficient and we need to examine the case for reform of teacher education provision”
   on 21 May 2013 at 11:49 pm

   Less than 5% of graduates of all teacher training colleges (in NI) get employment in that field.
   Many more (overstaffed) schools will close in the next few years. With guaranteed reemployment packages.
   Lots and lots of unemployed graduates, very expensively trained- including important 1st communion training vital to the economic well being of the state.

   Our hospitals, especially A&E, are crashing through lack of funding. Care homes for the elderly are going to be shut -once the spotlight dims.

   Joined up government, or , feathernesting sectarian gatekeepers?

   So it goes…

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2. Comment on Drama shows best how much Northern Ireland has changed
   on 19 May 2013 at 11:28 pm

   http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/where-else-but-northern-ireland-would-a-killer-on-a-school-board-even-be-mooted-as-a-possibility-8622575.html?origin=internalSearch

   Tonights episode (on RTE) was excellent.

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3. Comment on Taking years off your life – NI life expectancy deprivation gaps show increase over last decade
   on 19 May 2013 at 12:12 am

   To add:
   Many schools are (pupil) underpopulated and overstaffed.
   Many hospitals are understaffed and (patient) overpopulated.
   This trend will continue for the forseeable future.

   Does anyone at the pathetic local assembly have the ability to do the maths?
   That’s not a real question, of course they don’t.

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4. Comment on Taking years off your life – NI life expectancy deprivation gaps show increase over last decade
   on 19 May 2013 at 12:02 am

   No-one at Westminster wants Health either. Poisoned chalice for an ageing (and obese) population.

   Yet we have an overbudgeted school system (in NI) with many thousands of empty desks.

   Schools are not integrated, but health is.

   Integrate schools and put the savings into healthcare.

   Am I missing anything here?

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5. Comment on And the most racially intolerant country is…
   on 17 May 2013 at 12:00 am

   I thought there was only one ‘Human’ race. Closely related to our fellow apes, then down to mammals and so on.
   What ‘race’ is Tiger Woods, Luis Suarez, Jennifer Ennis etc?
   Like all apes, and many fellow mammals, humans are tribal-not necessarily by genes.
   Skin colour in humans is like skin colour in cats. It makes no difference to their behaviour (although there are some studies on ginger toms).
   Yes, psychologists will tell you that we like people who look like us.
   Class is the real difference. Status.
   Belfast is losing the ‘religion’ thingy because it’s nonsense and any middle class kid knows it’s just a social indicator. Not one of any significance post Dawkins.

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6. Comment on PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”
   on 16 May 2013 at 1:03 am

   tacapall
   MI5 have their second home here. Back up HQ in monocultural Holywood. With 2 Mercian to guard the gates.
   Ballykinler is bursting with operational training for the G8 with its special forces training range.

   Apart from that the same ‘peacetime’ garrison as 1964.
   Hardly an ‘occupation’. British troops on err.. British soil.

   MI5 have different considerations regarding their ‘back up’ HQ in non muslim territory.

   i’m guessing the RoI government couldn’t care less, but since they’re governed from Berlin what does it matter?

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7. Comment on PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”
   on 16 May 2013 at 12:18 am

   The PSNI are essentially, glorified traffic wardens and speeding ticket collectors. That’s about 98% of their role.
   There are some anti social behaviour classes in schools and investigate the rare aggravated assaults, rapes and burglaries. Nice work if you can get it at premium salaries. (£40k plus overtime a go-go). I’m not sure if they also have the added burden of dog fouling.

   National security is the job of Palace Barracks (‘Regnum Defende’) and anti terrorism is also so placed -along with Ballykinler and Thiepval barracks.

   The NCA can be placed in the big boys role in the latter category.

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8. Comment on PSNI: “if the NCA is unable to operate fully in Northern Ireland, this will have a detrimental impact on our ability to keep people safe”
   on 15 May 2013 at 8:48 pm

   The Secretary of State and the Home Office could simply upgrade MI5 to deal with a lot of police work here, alongside the Special Reconnaisance Regiment.
   Downgrade the PSNI to traffic and public order duties maybe with local burglaries, domestics etc added on.

   Westminster can bypass the Trumpton assembly as it pleases, so can the Security Service and the MoD.

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9. Comment on UTV Insight: Collusion and some of its innocent victims…
   on 14 May 2013 at 11:14 pm

   The security services have to deal with fundamentalist loony terrorists in a pragmatic manner. Bin Laden, Finucane, Lenny Murphy,Mairhead Farrell, Bobby Sands, David Koresh, whatever.
   If the law has to be ‘stretched’, Dirty Harry style, so be it.

   They’re no different than Stuart Hazell
   .
   Justice is served on several plates by the state.

   Only the latter escaped (so far).

   Go to comment

10. Comment on Ferguson’s departure: Rivals must work to burst “the incumbency bubble” of the EPL
    on 10 May 2013 at 12:30 pm

    http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/05/goodbye-sir-alex-and-good-riddance/

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