An Irish woman's social, political and domestic commentary
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| GUBU An Irish woman's social, political and domestic commentary |
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Thursday, February 27, 2003
Bertie's Bad Grammar
I see Bertie is still claiming to have attended UCD. He admitted that he went to a few public lectures there as opposed to actually being registered as a student. His lack of eduction has filtered through to the 'youth zone' on the website of his Department. The concept of the possessive apostrophe appears to have evaded his fine mind. posted by Sarah | 16:43 0 comments ER's fatal strategy Memo to producers of ER: Why, oh why, did you make Carter the central character? What a disaster. Filling the vacum left by the increasingly gorgeous George Clooney was always going to be difficult. Apart from his faint-inducing good looks he also supplied plenty of angst through his highly complex relationship with Carol. But there must be other fabulously good looking men in the world who can play out tortous internal and romantic conflicts on Sunday nights for softies like me. John Carter (Noah Wyle) is not even qualified to apply for membership of the "ohmygodheissogorgeous" club. He's too young, too skinny. His hair is thin. His eyes are mean. He's rich! He loves his Granny! Ok, he got stabbed and became a drug addict, but his recovery did not endow him with a sense of authority - just doubt. His love for Abby lacks depth. He doesn't trust her. He just doesn't get that look in his eyes like his heart is breaking. This other demi-God can do it. The decision to make Carter the lead character of the ER is all the more puzzling when the actually gorgeous and suitably tortured soul of Kovac is available. He's got the great hair, jawline, sexy accent, beautiful eyes and his wife and children were killed in a war! This is Hearthrob Creation 101 content. I need to get a job in telly. posted by Sarah | 14:39 0 comments Evil Richard Exposed Well it happened at last, but what a disappointment. Gail finally begins to doubt her darling husband but it takes a suspiciously easily extracted confession to finally open her eyes. She challenges him, he confesses, resolution appears to be on the horizon...but then what? She goes into an utterly unconvincing state of shock which sees her attempt to argue that Evil Richards's confession was false. Rather than anger she descends into self-pity. The script is poor, the acting awful. Making her the central character was always going to be problematical given the level of her unattractiveness. Gail looks like someone took a chisel to her chin and a hedge clippers to her hair. Sarah's reaction is far more credible as is Audrey's. Steve and Karen relieve matters somewhat by taking delight in the search for bodies at the flat site. Apparently Richard (who is currently on the run) shows up and we have to endure a kidnapping scene before he is safely put behind bars. I'll keep watching but begrudgingly so. One longs for the days of the Racquel/Curly/Des triangle. That was acting. posted by Sarah | 14:13 0 comments Wednesday, February 26, 2003 Banana Republic Well its official. We now live in Bonga Bonga land. Today's headlines are: "Bertie buys bigger plane" - We will have 3 government jets soon! The existing one, a new bigger one and then a new smaller one. "Taoiseach allowed to break the speed limit". The garda commissioner says the Taoiseach can break the speed limit. Aaagh! posted by Sarah | 17:39 0 comments Things Oriental More on Zuleika, Byron etc (see post on 12 Feb). Hugh corrects me (his forté it appears). He says that the interest in that certain class was not particularly inspired by Byron's poem but an interest in all things "Oriental" at that time. He recommends the book by Edward Said "Western Concepts of the Orient" for those interested in such matters. posted by Sarah | 15:59 0 comments More on the war This is a great article by Terry Jones in the Observer. Sums up it all up nicely I think. posted by Sarah | 12:08 0 comments Thursday, February 20, 2003 Venezuela and the International Media Last April I heard an extraordinary interview on Today FM's The Last Word presented by Fintan O'Toole. It was with a woman I know vaguely called Kim who was in Venezuela making a documentary about Hugo Chavez, their charismatic President. Chavez had been elected in a landslide victory some year's previously and had introduced a constitution which was put to the people in a referendum and supported by a strong majority. During her interviews with him, a coup took place which was reversed within 24 hours and which gave her a unique opportunity to film the events firsthand. The documentary was shown on RTE on Tuesday night and it is one of the most powerful pieces of television I've ever seen. See here for more info. Chavez' big problem was that the people who elected him were the poor. The middle classes and the CIA weren't too happy. Venezuela is the world's fourth largest exporter of oil. The oil is owned by the state but had been controlled by an elite who kept the profits amongst themselves. Chavez' goal was to get the price of oil increased and distribute the revenue in a manner which would benefit the poor: the same people who had elected him. Sounds like democracy to me...but not the United States. The documentary showed Colin Powell and the head of the CIA briefing various Senate committees assuring them that Chavez was not a democrat and that they were concerned about his rule. This was a man who was elected by 80% of the people! Anyway, on April 11, the anti-Chavez people conducted a huge rally. A counter demonstration by pro-Chavez people took place. The two marches headed towards each other and the police were in-between. Suddenly snipers began shooting on the pro-Chavez crowd. 10 were killed. 100 injured. Some of the pro-Chavez people tried to shoot back at the snipers. The pictures were captured by one of the privately owned TV channels and broadcast around the country and, via CNN, around the world. But what did they show? They showed one narrow shot of the pro-Chavez people shooting and the commentary indicated that they were shooting on the anti-Chavez demonstrators, which was not the case at all. That night,a coup took place. Chavez was taken prisoner when he refused to resign. A new president was sworn in and it was announced that the constitution and the Supreme Court were being disbanded. And what was going on in the White House? Ari Fleischer briefed the media that Chavez was a brutal ruler who had had the army shoot peaceful demonstrators and the US government were relieved that he had resigned (lie! he never did) and that a democratic government that had the support of the people was in office. LIE LIE LIE. Unfortunately (for the new government and the US and Ari) the people demonstrated (peacefully) demanding that Chavez be returned. They had the momemtum and within 24 hours everything had turned around. Chavez was back to fight another day. And there were plenty of those. So here's the important point. The White House and CNN briefed the world that: - Chavez was not a democrat (Lie) - he was not supported by the people (lie) - he had shot at peaceful protesters (lie) - he had resigned (lie) - there was a democractic government in place (lie) - the US were hopeful that the status quo (ie pre-Chavez) was restored (true). Here's the link for Ari's briefing that day. Here's the one a few day's later where he's trying to back track. I must find out who "Terry" is. Terry was on to something but not quite clear on the facts. posted by Sarah | 12:44 0 comments Monday, February 17, 2003 Day of Protest Just a short note to acknowledge my participation in the march on Saturday. What a glorious day. The sun shone all day and the humour was great. And finally, finally, there was evidence that the Irish do actually care about something! I marched with the Socialist Workers and Anarchists. They had all the best slogans: George Bush, we know you. Your Daddy was a killer too! George Bush, get this straight, Ireland's not a US state! Bush, Blair, CIA, how many kids did you kill today? and the peace one You can't stop the people cos the people have power and the power of the people can't stop. We all had whistles as well and my ears are still ringing from their overuse. Will this do any good? Probably not, but its important to do it anyway. posted by Sarah | 14:48 0 comments Thursday, February 13, 2003 What Liberal Media? Here's a piece my brother sent to me. An interview with journalist Eric Alterman whose book "What Liberal Media?" shows how the press are actually quite soft on Bush and the Republicans. Looks really interesting. In a sort-of-similar vein, I noticed how journalists fell over themselves to praise the superficiality of FF's campaign in the last election. Ace reporter Charlie Bird has even made several public speeches about how slickly managed their PR campaign was. In other words, the journalists themselves are praising the spin doctors for spinning them so well! Its clear that they see the investment in PR as a flattery to which they eagerly respond. These egocentric hacks, while acknowledging that a system has been constructed in order to manage them, are so overcome by the adulation that their warm giddy feelings are transparently included in the copy. There was one honourable exception to this and that was George Lee, who alone continued to question Charlie McCreevy about the dodgy figures. The tide has turned a little in that Tony O'Reilly has not forgiven the government for letting the FAI sell the football coverage to Sky, thus screwing Chorus, his ailing cable company. During one week last summer the Independent group went on the attack and is only starting to let up now. With FG establishing new communications sytems it will be interesting to see how things develop over the course of this government. I'll be monitoring things closely..... posted by Sarah | 16:01 0 comments Wednesday, February 12, 2003 Powell the Pscyhic Powell was making his presentation to the Senate Intelligence Committee detailing the contents of the so-called Osama tape hours before it was broadcast on Al-Jazeera. How did they know what was on it? Their own people admit that they didn't test it for voice recognition but "believed" it to be Osama - there's a get out clause if ever I saw one. In the meantime Al-Jazeera themselves said it doesn't prove any link with Iraq. Do they really think we'll swallow this excrement? And don't they realise that by being so blatantly propagandist that when something serious actually does happen, no one will believe them? And as for the tanks at Heathrow?? They were personally ordered there by Blair - NOT the police. What do they take us for? posted by Sarah | 16:40 0 comments Two friends Some of my friends are slightly eccentric, others downright dysfunctional, but here are two interesting titbits from that source. First, take a look at Darren's blog to see his work on airbrushing my family photos. Then check out Hugh's recommendation for a good book "Zuleika Dobson" by Max Beerbohm. Here's a note to a later edition which solved a lunchtime quandry on how to pronounce the eponymous heroine's name. "I was in Italy when this book was first published. A year later (1912) I visited London, and I found that most of my friends and acquaintances spoke to me of Zu-like-a -- a name which I hardly recognised and thoroughly disapproved. I had always thought of the lady as Zu-leek-a. Surely it was thus that Joseph thought of his Wife, and Selim of his Bride? And I do hope that it is thus that any reader of these pages will think of Miss Dobson." This meant I won the argument, although Hugh points out (pedantically he confesses), that Beerbohm is wrong in one regard: Zuleika was not Joseph's bride, but the wife of Potiphar, Joseph's master when he was sold into slavery in Egypt. Hugh, who is over-educated, was also able to tell me that the name Zuleika became popular "among a certain class" due to a poem "The Bride of Abydos," by Byron. The text of the poem may be found here. We know one person named Zuleika. Are there any more? And must one search the work of Byron in order to find interesting names? And guess what? I played the part of Potiphar in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (school production). The wife does play a crucial part as her flirtation with Joseph results in his incarceration from whence he is rescued in order to interpret the Pharaoh's dreams. BUT, in the text, she is merely called "Potiphar's wife" and thus I only found out today her actual name. Another example of the attempt to write women out of history. Good job there's a Skibbereen Eagle like me on the prowl. posted by Sarah | 16:00 0 comments Tuesday, February 11, 2003 US Freedom On a more serious note, here is further evidence of just how sick American society is. This is a story of a psychotically insane man on death row, given a reprieve because, well, he's pyschotic. Except the authorities want to force him to take medication so he can be cured. So they can then execute him. So they recognise he's mad but they want to kill him anyway. This is a country run by enthusiastic death penalty advocates who can't wait to overturn Roe v. Wade. Where is the consistency? Please please tell me there is a credible Democratic candidate out there. And Lieberman doesn't count. posted by Sarah | 16:22 0 comments Coronation Street I know there are more pressing matters on the national and international scene at the moment but the producers of Coronation Street deserve a rebuff. I had managed to implement my SEP (soap elimination programme) last Autumn but retained the Street in anticipation of the exposure of Evil Richard. (Apologies to those who thought I sat at home every night reading Chomsky.) Christmas was infuriating. We had been assured that Christmas day would see Evil Richard attempt to kill Emily and instead kill Maxine. We kicked out our cocktail party guests and put the turkey on hold. What happened? Nothing. We complained bitterly to each other but perservered in the knowledge that a good murder followed by his exposure would come our way by January. My granny lay awake at night fearing for Audrey's safety. Since then? One anti-climax after another. OK. So Maxine did get murdered but Ashley's grief has been maudlin and embarrassing. And still Evil Richard is at large and will remain so for several months to come judging by the lack of investigation and Emily's awful memory. In the meantime we have been pawned off by the developing sexual relationship of Sarah and Todd. What a non-story. This is the 16 year old who had a baby at 13. How is this supposed to hold one's interest? My patience is running out. Either signs of an expose develop quickly or I will have no excuses left and have to do yoga AND a meditation every night. I suppose the producers think they are very clever, stringing out story lines so the ratings will keep up. Be warned though. While we viewers are expert time wasters, we are not complete fools and will abandon you. posted by Sarah | 15:12 0 comments Monday, February 10, 2003 The Underheated Restaurant I've had enough. For years now I've been sitting on uncomfortable chairs which make screeching noises on tiled floors watching the rain through the oversized street facing windows and SHIVERING! It seems like the more expensive the restaurant, the colder the designers make it. OK, so things weren't so flash in the 80's when it was all gicky carpets and dim lighting. But now its like the four restuarant designers in Dublin who get some work all went to London together for the weekend and have been ripping off St. Martin's Lane (badly) ever since. They think all that minimalist stuff is so cool. Like painting the walls white, installing stainless steel everywhere and getting wooden chairs is supposed to be original. Well enough is enough. The complaining starts here. And I've already had some success. My protest has started at the lower end of the market. My colleague Ifah and I were sitting in Eddie Rockets in Donnybrook. I expect cut-price crappy food but we were still shivering even though we had our winter coats and scarves on. A complaint to the manager solicited the following response " Well its alright for you, I have to work here". I called the head office and they assured me that vouchers were on the way. If they do send them on hopefully they will have the heating repaired so we can eat it in relative comfort. Cold restaurants in Dublin include Eden, Bang, Tearoom at the Clarence, and Jacob's Ladder. (although at least you get a tablecloth there). Warm restaurants are Roly's, Il Primo (Annrai gets a mention in this review) and Il Posto. posted by Sarah | 16:04 0 comments Thursday, February 06, 2003 Sex and the City Sorry to dissapoint but yesterday's speculation on the character of the Irish will not be continued until Monday. Further reflection and research is required. Also, I watched Sex and the City last night and I'm not happy. On a superficial level the absurdity of a clearly pregnant Sarah Jessica Parker playing an unpregnant Carrie Bradshaw is getting too much. Secondly the increasing hysteria of the main characters is undermining the fun. The whole point of the series is trying to pretend that when it comes to sex women are actually men. Just as wild, just as horny. But of course, the great irony is that the characters are actually desperate for a proper relationship. All the coarse language and casual sex thinly veils the oldest story in the world - girls are desperate to get married. Its just Ally McBeal with bad language. They (the characters) keep falling in love. They keep getting hurt! They keep searching for some impossible ideal and dumping perfectly nice guys and hurting THEIR feelings. And boy are they starting to age. So its the worst kind of backlash TV. On one level it establishes a Holy Grail: The marriage of Carrie and Big. On another, it has a range of self-destruct buttons for the normal situations which will lead to a happy relationship. For example, men can't be trusted (e.g. Richard). If they can, they'll never forgive you (Aidan). If they can, they're crap in bed (Trey). If they're not, they're too poor (Steve). The only redemption held out is that maybe, maybe, if she waits long enough, Big will finally cave in and propose to Carrie. And nothing else will ever make her happy. Primarily because she won't allow it to. And as for the others? Charlotte's character was based around her dream of a fairytale ending. That's now developed into her determination to be more slutty. Samantha's character is her utter devotion to sex. What happens to her when she ages and men don't want her anymore? She retires with the vibrator? Miranda was the true career woman so they picked her to get pregnant and look how miserable they've made her. Piles of weight, can't get the hair organised, no sleep and Carrie offered to help ONCE. And they try to tell us these women are great friends. Charlotte was the one who wanted the kid but they made her infertile just after she'd quit her job in order to devote herself to her potential motherhood. Why did she have to resign when she wasn't even pregnant? What was it? Working might harm your ability to get pregnant? Attempting to get pregnant renders you incapable of working? Will revisit that one later. In the meantime, what is real? Women are sexy and vibrant. Most of them do want committed relationships that don't force them to sacrifice their personalities. But there is MORE. Having an entire TV series (AGAIN) that portrays them in this one-dimensional light is just depressing. Can't we have one TV series with women as the leading characters where the search for the perfect guy isn't the main storyline? posted by Sarah | 16:35 0 comments Wednesday, February 05, 2003 The Irish and Carrots and Sticks My colleague Darren Barefoot is revisiting this theme on his blog prompted by a theory from our mutual colleague Keith. In my treatise below, I credited the acceptance of the proposed smoking ban to a mature Irish audience identifying that this move was worthy of support due to the rather obvious public health benefits. It appears not. Rather, for whatever reason, (speculation on which will appear tomorrow) we simply respond very well to the stick rather than the carrot. Examples - despite encouragement hardly anyone recycled plastic bags until the 15c charge came in. Recycling was whole heartedly adopt within a week and consumption of plastic bags dropped massively. There was no respect for parking laws, with parking tickets being treated as souvenirs, until clamping was introduced. Within a week, parking was easy to find on Merrion Sq. These are just two examples, but they worked and without any civil unrest. Now the smoking ban is being calmly debated. Accepting that disincentives are cleary more successful than incentives in improving our behaviour, this means that politicians should use this principle for a wide range of activities. For example, I had expressed my standard liberal minded abhorrence at the proposed refusal of state allowances to parents who do not get their children immunised, but I will have to re-explore this. I've always agreed with charging for refuse disposal (fortunately the EU agrees with me). I think the Australians are quite right to put people in jail for not voting. Bullying works. And without much complaint. Hmmm..... posted by Sarah | 16:06 0 comments Tuesday, February 04, 2003 So called competition Did you know that Waterstones and Hodges Figgis on Dawson Street in Dublin are both owned by EMI? In my history lessons we read all about Theodore Roosevelt and trust-busting. In the eighties we admired the achievements of Peter Sutherland, EU Commissioner for Competition who broke up the airline monopolies. But now it looks like 100 years of anti-cartel legislation got demolished in the last ten years. I think I'm comparing prices at Ikea and Habitat..but they're the same company! I think I can choose between Waterstones and Hodges Figgis...but its the same company! I ring Aer Lingus to get a quote on a flight and then check with BA....guess what? I'm getting prices on the SAME flight! There's too much of this pretend competition going on. Karel van Miert tried to do something about it...but we need more like him and the old Peter. Not the new one. posted by Sarah | 15:30 0 comments More proof that men aren't so superior after all From today's Irish Times "MEN like to believe that they have more sexual partners on average than do women. That is, of course, impossible: for it takes two to tango and the average number of encounters must be the same for each sex (which does not stop us from lying, with the average 40-year old Brit claiming 9.9 conquests and his female equivalent only 3.4)." Pathetic as usual guys. posted by Sarah | 14:34 0 comments |
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