Turgon Occasionally people have been accused of showing off on this web site by mentioning their university education. I am afraid I went to university; there I worked far too hard and my only real leisure activity was being a QUB unionist and annoying the Student’s Union Executive (ah those were the days, sitting with the likes of Peter Weir in Cloisters dreaming up questions for the SU executive). To paraphrase Bob Dylan: The times they have a changed. During my …
The government seems to be in the process of having a fight with GPs over lengthening their opening hours. The Health minister is writing to GPs to try to appeal over the heads of the BMA, though judging by the sample taken by the BBC the GPs are behind the BMA. The GPs’ appear to have agreed to open for an additional two hours but the government is demanding three. The government has been pledging to increase GP access for …
An interesting piece in the Newsletter reporting North Antrim DUP MLA Mervyn Storey suggesting that there has been progress from a DUP viewpoint but that there are still changes to be made, more detail from the DUP website. Much of his fire seems to have been directed at the Education minister who seems to be the chief hate figure currently for the DUP (and indeed others). Storey again shows great delight in the resignation of Gerry McHugh from SF. His …
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland is the second biggest Protestant denomination on the island and the biggest in Northern Ireland. It is in some ways a coalition of different opinions. Some parts of it are quite liberal and even ecumenical represented by people like Rev. Ken Newell of Fitzroy and previously Rev. John Dunlop of Rosemary. Probably the majority of Presbyterianism is, however, more traditional, theologically conservative and in reality quite fundamentalist, certainly churches in the Coleraine Presbytery (which my …
This is not really an anti sport blog but I could think of nothing else to call it. It is a confessional but I wonder how many other blogger types out there are the same as me (and will admit it).I am 36, 5’7” and weigh 9st 10lbs. As such I am not really cut out to be a sportsman. However, I grew a great deal aged about 16. Hence, whilst in the junior years at school, I was extremely …
According to the Newsleter and the BBC: the executive met last week to discuss Margaret Ritchie’s approach to the CTI funding. We are none the wiser as to how the meeting went as Pete mentions here and here.I am normally quite a fan of Gregory Campbell but I think he has a problem saying that if Ritchie loses in court her place in the executive will be open to question. The reality is that Ritchie’s decision was extremely popular with …
Pete has already blogged this immediately below but it is really very interesting and I will put my own analysis on it. Paisley has welcomed Mr Ahern to Ballymena. His wife was confronted by Ruby Gillespie the wife of former DUP member Roy Gillespie, both of whom had been long term Paisley supporters and possibly even family friends. The similarities between what Paisley is now doing and what Terrance O’Neill did regarding Sean Lemass’s visit all those years ago are …
HIV / AIDS is a modern scourge, having been with us for almost three decades. Despite significant progress in the developed world there is still an overwhelming problem in the developing world especially in Africa where 64% of infected people live with only 1 in 5 getting treatment. Here in the UK with complex antiretroviral therapy doctors talk in terms of almost normal life expectancy. That is far, far from the case in Sub-Saharan Africa. There are, however, suggestions that …
Mr. Derek Conway seems to be in the process of having his political career ended for having employed his son to do nothing and has now agreed to step down at the next election. It appears that a number of MPs employ their relatives to do real work in an entirely legal and acceptable fashion. This situation also appears to pertain in Northern Ireland, again entirely properly and legally. The Paisleys’ have taken this system even further; Ian Paisley junior …
I recently blogged the decision of Limavady council to remove various “offensive” items. Mr. Donnelly produced an interesting blog from a republican perspective about the “The Lessons of Limavady” and how it illustrated unionist thinking. Whilst I do not believe in tit for tat blogging; this episode along with the recent “Cavalcade for Londonderry” counterpoised with the ongoing love in makes for an interesting time to analyse the current tactics of Sinn Fein from a unionist perspective.Clearly in Stormont the …
As I observed in the title this is one for anoraks, but still worth a mention I think.In the June 2007 announcement on waiting lists Mr. McGimpsey announced the following waiting times: • 13 weeks for a first outpatient appointment • 13 weeks for a diagnostic test • 21 weeks for surgery. These to be achieved by March 2008 However, in the press release following the budget we have this comment on waiting times: • Reduction of waiting time from …
I am usually extremely reticent to predict the outcome of elections. However, on this occasion I am going to stick my neck out and announce the result of the Zimbabwe Parliamentary and Presidential elections which are due to be held on the 29th March; though I will be delighted to be proven wrong.As I mentioned in my last blog on Zimbabwe there were hopes that Simba Makoni a former finance minister might try to stand for ZANU-PF rather than Mr. …
A number of relatives of the victims of the La Mon Hotel murders have asked Ian Paisley not to attend the 30th anniversary commemorations to be held at Castlereagh Borough Council offices on the 17th February.Paisley has stated previously that those who lost least have been amongst those to complain the most about the current political arrangements. Some of his party members have described those opposed to the current arrangements as “Flat earthers.” Clearly to denounce the La Mon relatives …
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. Most of us know at least something of the history of those events during the Second World War and there are also other appalling episodes of genocide subsequently such as Rwanda. Here is a link to personal testimonies.My only story is to illustrate my own foolishness. Shortly before Christmas last year I met an elderly lady at work. She had a European accent (sounded German to me). To attempt conversation the bold Turgon said “Are …
This is not going to be a fun or light hearted blog. I hope I can address this issue in as serious a fashion as it behoves. Can I say at the outset that I personally have never had a close friend or relative commit suicide and as such I cannot fully understand the personal emotions and trauma that this produces. If in any way I offend anyone I am truly sorry but I do feel this is an issue …
The problems in Kenya have by no means gone away. Some of the latest violence has been in the large town of Nakuru. Nakuru, was once the centre of the “White Highlands”, important during the Mau Mau uprising and is still an important market town for agriculture and a part of the tourist industry. Again the violence seems to have assumed something of an ethnic nature, though again it must be stressed that simply defining this as an ethnic conflict …
I have blogged the uselessness of loyalist paramilitaries on two previous occasions: here and here. However, we must note some more episodes of criminality, unpleasantness and generalised uselessness. It appears loyalist paramilitaries have been behind attacking four men in the Woodvale area of Belfast on 21st January. In addition a further extremely perverse episode of intimidation seems to have been made on a family in Carrickfergus. I suspect suggesting that the UDA may have been involved is unlikely to see …
The annual party conference is something of an institution; the DUP’s seems to be a fun affair as well with speeches from Dr. Paisley and Mr. Robinson apparently along with the possibility of farmyard impressions. Unfortunately this enticing event has been postponed repeatedly with the last one apparently having been in February 2006. Whilst sources within the DUP seem to be suggesting that the delay may be because of the difficulties finding a large enough hotel, the need for a …
Mr. McGimpsey seems very pleased with the allocation to health in the new budget. McGimpsey has claimed that the new budget gives him £150 million extra over the next three years. This seems to be broken down into £30 million extra revenue, £60 million from other departments under spends and £60 million from efficiency savings from his own department. Sceptics have, however, suggested that the total amount of new money may be as little as £57 million extra over the …
Pete mentioned the education minister’s plans on post primary education being cost neutral. Catriona Ruane has, however, been having a number of problems of late. She has of course as noted above scrapped the 11 plus and will not be funding it. She is also worried that allocating places to children from Northern Ireland ahead of those in the Republic could be contrary to EU law.Unfortunately we have now discovered that both these issues are actually nonsense. It was some …
