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Books
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A poem for the day – Launching the Whaler Juan Peron
A Belfast epic, and one of my oldest poems, the opener of my first collection, Grub. The gist of the story was found in Moss & Hume’s Shipbuilders to the World: 125 Years of Harland and Wolff, Belfast, 1861-1986, which tells how Eva Peron was due to launch a huge whaling vessel in Belfast, built [...] read our review » -
Do Words Matter?: Book Review of Political Discourse and Conflict Resolution – Debating Peace in Northern Ireland
I share many of the concerns of Andy Pollak, whose recent post ‘My Response to the Slugger Begrudgers’ zeroed in on the ‘relentless flow of negativity’ of some Slugger commentators. Pollak’s post was largely concerned with the medium of the blog. Indeed, I think the anonymity of the online world encourages extreme discourse and allows [...] read our review »
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“You can see Newton’s mind at work…”
To add to the open access treasure trove at the Royal Society, Cambridge University Library is putting online some of its collection of books, maps, manuscripts and journals. We have called the first phase of our work on the Cambridge Digital Library the Foundations Project, which runs from mid-2010 to mid-2013 and has been made possible [...] read our review »
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Comment on Facebook shuts down anti-Roma page
on 16 February 2010 at 5:09 am
It is great to know the facebook page has been taken down. Immigration is a problem in many areas, especially now with the economic situation and politicians need to really be honest about the implications of rapid immigration on health and social care, schools, social housing etc. But this kind of crap on facebook is just fueling hatred and can only lead to violent attacks as so often is the case. I’m a bit alarmed about the stereotypical image of Roma people in some posts. I have heard many similar things said about Irish people living in London. We’re drunks, lazy, always fighting and begging etc. Incidently, can anyone tell me what are the procedures for getting a facebook page such as this removed? Is it based on content of page or does it depend on the number of complaints facebook receive?
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Comment on Another racist Facebook page from Belfast
on 13 February 2010 at 3:31 am
I went home for a visit to Belfast last October and while waiting for a friend in Blackstaff Square I was surrounded by four women selling roses. I politely but firmly said ‘no thank you’s several ttimes (being a well brought up working class girl) and after a few minutes they moved on. It wasn’t a very pleasant experience and I did feel I was being mobbed for those few minutes. I am well used to people begging as I live in London but this was much worse than anything I had experienced there. I know under EU rules Roma people cannot get work permits and this makes absolutely no sense at all and only helps to fuel resentment wherever they may settle in the EU as they are naturally going to resort to rose selling or begging in order to get by. It needs sorted otherwise the situation is bound to escalate.
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Comment on Live blogging Question Time tonight…
on 12 February 2010 at 11:29 pm
How on earth does anyone know there were no Muslims in the audience. Unless of course you rely on racial stereotyping and expect all Muslims to be a certain shade of brown!
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Comment on Are Irish jokes still racist?
on 10 February 2010 at 1:05 am
Thank you for that Jaggers. It did make me laugh. Possibly offensive to those who don’t approve of swearing though….or vegetarians who don’t approve of burgers…or healthy types who don’t approve of fried food for children….or feminists who don’t like the notion that a Mum should always be responsible for the domestic chores. I could go on and on but I won’t. It was funny.
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Comment on Are Irish jokes still racist?
on 10 February 2010 at 12:47 am
I was once asked by an English colleague if I minded that he tell an Irish joke. I said of course not as long as he didn’t mind me telling an English joke. He replied ‘Don’t be silly. There aren’t any English jokes.’ Myself and a French colleague just couldn’t stop laughing. Bless!
I don’t take offence easily and have a pretty sick sense of humour which I share with friends. I think though that anyone who tells a joke which could be taken as racist, sexist or any other ‘ist’ in the workplace is just asking for trouble. This councillor works in local government and really should have known better. It would be great if we could all just lighten up but we can’t so perhaps it is best not to tell a joke which may be offensive. Trouble is I can’t think of single joke which isn’t offensive to someone. Isn’t that the nature of humour, it relys on stereotypes.
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Comment on Are Irish jokes still racist?
on 10 February 2010 at 12:09 am
An Englishman, Irishman and Scotsman walked in to a pub.
The barman said “Is this some kind of joke?”
Having worked in London for a number of years I have often been subjected to ‘Oirish’ jokes. Not sure they are racist but when you are the only Irish person in a particular workplace it can certainly make you feel unwelcome. I pointed out to a number of colleagues that they could be perceived as racist, the jokes stopped. As with all jokes, context is everything.
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Comment on Hillsborough Agreement: some TUVish thoughts; and blackadder
on 8 February 2010 at 3:40 pm
Why is it that time and time again a political agreement has to be seen in the context of one party losing and another winning? It is deeply depressing and one wonders if there can ever be consensus politics or will there always be a political/sectarian dimension where one party has to ‘beat’ the other?
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Comment on New Ireland
on 3 February 2010 at 9:21 pm
I’ve long been a convinced that a one nation position is the way forward. But then I can say that coming from a position of being a ‘dolly mixture’ graduate with a good standard of living and a lifestyle which would differ little in a ‘united’ Ireland. My views may be very different if I were someone living on the Shankill having had the ‘no surrender’ mantra drummed into me from birth. This is where discussion of a ‘united’ country bothers me. How the hell can we talk of a new Ireland when people have to be separated by ‘peacec lines’ in Belfast and elsewhere for fear that they will tear eachother apart.
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Comment on David Trimble and the importance of Catholics
on 2 February 2010 at 9:19 pm
What about Never Never Neverland?
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Comment on David Trimble and the importance of Catholics
on 2 February 2010 at 7:57 pm
‘Trimble driven by what’s in it for him’ Perish the thought! He smells an opportunity to engage again in NI politics as he watches the other unionists eat themselves. Now that he is in the HoL though, it is difficult to see his ambitions getting anywhere. However it is Irish politics so anything is possible.
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