Slugger O'Toole

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Latest comments from Critical Alien (see all)

Critical Alien has commented 57 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on Whitehall ” too busy ” to deal with First Ministers – claim
   on 8 October 2010 at 10:55 am

   In this context, what are we to make of Eamonn Mallie’s recent tweet?

   “Nick Clegg says neither the First or deputy First minister raised the
   £18b capital spending guarantee with Chancellor G/0sborne. What??”

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2. Comment on Rattling the begging bowl one more time is a bankrupt strategy
   on 7 October 2010 at 7:21 am

   Forth.ie carried a piece about the cuts to come back in early June. Apart from its over-optimism on Invest NI as a means to reinvigorate the private sector, it suggested the way out was through action and creativity. NI used to be a world leader in various fields. Shipbuilding, aviation, textiles, etc. Those industries aren’t quite so hot these days, but there are still capable people around. There is raw capacity to be exploited. Somehow.

   Maybe not on the hill, though. It really underlines the incapablilities of the lot in government that the situation that June article commented upon has changed only in the degree of whinging coming from Stormont. That’s their action taken in the face of a world recession. Their creativity has come in the form of… well…

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3. Comment on Graduate takes QUB to court over degree
   on 21 September 2010 at 4:21 pm

   Or for the money you should at least have been showing up? The ‘teaching material’ is your notes. The lecture is your basis for them, the matter which you interpret and synthesise into some useful form. The process is learning, and that’s the point.

   If you miss a lecture you just catch up, either by asking a mate or doing some research. What you seem to be lamenting the lack of is cliff notes in lieu of participation. If people’s degrees were won on such a basis, they’d be anemic.

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4. Comment on Graduate takes QUB to court over degree
   on 21 September 2010 at 2:33 pm

   Great teaching doesn’t guarantee great results. Awful teaching doesn’t necessitate awful marks. Nuff said?

   Teaching is and ought to be less than half the equation in university anyway. The degree is meant to be more than (or at least ‘other than’) just an 11+ for entrance to the job market. It’s acquisition is meant to indicate a ‘degree’ of self-tutelage.

   It’s Queen’s fault to a great extent as through this VC they have fostered this consumerist attitude, tried to play themselves as “QUB PLC”. This kind of idiotic action has been on the cards and ought to amount to nothing. But who knows?

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5. Comment on NI Water: UTV Live report tonight…
   on 16 August 2010 at 9:02 pm

   Excellent!

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6. Comment on NI Water: UTV Live report tonight…
   on 16 August 2010 at 8:33 pm

   I plonked this a little way up the thread by mistake. Perhaps it’ll raise a titter

   http://i.imgur.com/yYzGt.jpg

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7. Comment on NI Water: UTV Live report tonight…
   on 16 August 2010 at 7:38 pm

   http://imgur.com/yYzGt.jpg

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8. Comment on CAS case to be concluded today- Update: Ruling in Favour of FAI
   on 1 August 2010 at 1:56 pm

   You’re absolutely right. One should never, ever, venture into discussions about anything one isn’t already fully informed about and should never, ever wonder on things outside one’s immediate spheres of interests.

   I’m a fool for asking and should be quiet. Superb, thanks.

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9. Comment on CAS case to be concluded today- Update: Ruling in Favour of FAI
   on 31 July 2010 at 10:59 am

   I’m not much of a sports fan, so forgive my ignorance here.

   How is the IFA funded? And is there not a story in their apparent continued efforts at pissing said funds away? Or in the manner in which funds retained are used.

   I’m thinking Wells’ departure as a needless cost – why so much money wasted on a dodgy dismissal?
   Why the defence of this case too, surely one that would be lost. More money taken from football for needless diversions.

   Regarding the strange distribution of wealth there’s the relationship between IFA and Linfield, notwithstranding the new Windsor arrangement. Linfield will continue to have disproportionate buying power despite historically failing to discharge thier duties regardng Windsor. Do the IFA fund football, or Linfield?

   This last stuff has the whiff of bigger politics about it too, what with McCausland’s never, never, never regarding the multi sport use of Windsor.

   Anyone any thoughts of elaborations on this?

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10. Comment on Second night of rioting in west Belfast
    on 4 July 2010 at 9:34 pm

    “String-em-uppery” aside, is there an issue here concerning the operational deployment of helicopters for several nights, despite which the disorder continues? The noise is pretty inescapable over much of south Belfast, and the cost must be incredibly high. Surveillance a-plenty is surely available from the banks of CCTV around the place. Am I being hopelessly naive?

    This just seems ridiculous. If the police can’t or won’t lift anyone, isn’t there also the implication of a failure of representation? Maybe arrests would be seen as inflammatory, but in that case it’s over to local representatives (whatever that may mean).

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