Advertise
-
Books
-
The Imperfectionists (Tom Rachman) – an insight into a newspaper that’s maybe not so fictional
‘news’ is often a polite way of saying ‘editor’s whim’ Given the shift from print to online and e-ink, maybe Tom Rachman’s The Imperfectionists was a suitable first first book for me to finish reading on the Kindle. Considering the economic pressures on the newspaper industry, his novel perhaps captures the spirit and soul of [...] read our review »
-
Lessons in Cute Hoorism: “Graft was accepted, for you were taking from the British…”
I’ve been catching up on some reading, recently. Most pleasantly surprised by John Drennan’s latest opus from Gill and Macmillan, Cute Hoors and Pious Protestors… It’s early days yet, but I was struck by this paragraph, part of a dissection of Fianna Fail near the beginning: One of the more fatal consequences of our colonial [...] read our review »
-
“Unionism Decayed 1997-2007″ by David Vance: book review
I initially wrote this when the book was first published three years ago; whilst certain elements of it now sound dated, its basic premise that the period of 1997-2007 was a period of irreversible decay for Northern Irish Unionism can still be argued as a valid opinion. My own feeling is that it did indeed [...] read our review »
-
Comment on Some thoughts on North Antrim
on 17 April 2010 at 10:46 pm
The situation in North Antrim is actually quite simple. Supporters of the DUP who have changed their view along with the party leaders will still vote DUP, those who haven’t will vote Alister as he now represents what the DUP used to stand for.
The only other factor is that Junior hasn’t the long term credibility of Paisley Senior to carry him through with the “don’t knows”. But make no mistake, even Paisley Senior himself had decided to stand again, he would probably have got in but almost certainly with the smallest majority he’s ever returned. Some of his most loyal followers in the past are the very ones who now feel the most betrayed and are making huge efforts to drum up support for Jim Alister across the area.
Go to comment
Comment on Some thoughts on North Antrim
on 17 April 2010 at 2:16 pm
“one option Turgon has seemed to overlook is the possibility of Voters turning to the UCU from Paisley”
He hasn’t overlooked it, he obviously knows enough about North Antrim to know that it isn’t an option. Paisley following DUPers with vote for junior, traditional hard-line DUPers will vote for Alister, no “option 3″ is required.
Harry J, I have no idea who you are but you seem to be a very bitter man to the point of it totally clouding your ability to view things even vaguely sensibly. The EC pay out a flat rate for air travel every time one of our members travels to the parliament, so the more he attends the more he gets in travel expenses. What’s he supposed to do, lift a salary for a job that he does nothing to earn,…………………….like so many of our other “politicians”.
Go to comment
Comment on Heineken Cup Quarter Finals
on 9 April 2010 at 1:27 pm
Just hoping that firstly the Ospreys don’t get too many injuries and secondly that the need for Magners league points will ensure we don’t see a “B” team trotting out at Ravenhill on Tuesday evening.
Best of luck to Munster/Leinster and hope that Tommy Bowe tears up the pitch against Biarritz.
Go to comment
Comment on They’re all out to get me!
on 3 April 2010 at 3:42 am
Don’t ever call a QC a liar in public unless you are 100% sure that he is and you can prove it.
In fact even then it’s probably not a very good idea.
Go to comment
Comment on Robinson expected to speak to the BBC this evening…
on 2 April 2010 at 10:53 pm
What a thoroughly ignorant, rude, arrogant man we have as a first minister.
If our political system is worth one iota, this man will have to go.
Go to comment
Comment on “What kind of eejits do [these] people take us for?”
on 2 April 2010 at 7:42 pm
The point is that many of us, myself included, have already accepted Adams (and quite a few other) as “the IRA man in government”.
The Good Friday Agreement gave us the choice of accepting it, or more lives being lost. The other option, that of actually defeating terrorism (which we should probably now label as “the Allister option”) never looked like it would happen.
None of these so called “revelations” changes any of the above.
Go to comment
Comment on “What kind of eejits do [these] people take us for?”
on 2 April 2010 at 7:12 pm
This is all well and good but in reality we all know and always have where Adams came from and what he used to be.
The British government gave us no option but to go down a route of appeasement (and jobs) for the trouble makers on both sides if we wanted to lead something approaching a peaceful life.
The majority have accepted it, none of this will make much difference.
Go to comment
Comment on ‘Up like a bird and over the city’
on 1 April 2010 at 1:23 pm
All animals are equal,…………….but some are more equal than others.
Safe flight comrade!
Go to comment
Comment on BBC goes on the attack against Robinson tonight…
on 31 March 2010 at 12:06 am
“Dead in a few days”
Oh I really doubt that!
Go to comment
Comment on BBC goes on the attack against Robinson tonight…
on 30 March 2010 at 11:57 pm
Obviously the implication is that the value of the “ransom strip” was included in the value of their garden for which they were paid a disproportionately high price compared to those around them. This avoided paying capital gains tax on it’s value which would have been due had they been paid for it on it’s own merit.
Tax avoidance?
Go to comment