Joycean Defamation, A Blogger Apologises

Mr Joyce, money and Ireland

from sean ban in the thatch bar lisselton;

So now I must be very careful with every word printed here. I haven't got a spare €100k lying around. I wonder does it matter if this blog is not based in Ireland? If it is, can I defame a citizen of the United States? I don't know. What am I taking about? - check out the 'defamation' case suffered by the blog Ardmayle. The story is in an old Independent article. The participants in the affair are Niall O'Donnchu and Laura Barnes. If you really want to know more about this fearless couple - just google it. Come to think of it, could Google have been sued for carrying the alleged defamation? One wonders about the relative sizes of the defence bank accounts of Google and Ardmayle.

Of course we will now hear from the John Waters of the this country mouthing off about nameless bloggers. He always appears to imply that all bloggers are dim-witted playstation weilding dullards without education, living off coke (both kinds) and pizza. Though that sounds like a few journos I know. And yes, I am nameless. Just like many journalists I can think of, Mr Waters.

Why, the Irish Times even has Backbencher. Surely it counts as a blog? And is not one John Healy a Waters icon?


yours insincerely,

Kerryview

Suicide is Cheaper than Death by Car Crash

I make no apologies

from stockie in spillanes in the maharees;

This country really needs a shake-up. Take driving (you could take smoking if you wish - see grandad). We can't drink, phone, speed, go slow. We pay road tax, VRT, VAT, duty and god knows what else. We have insurance, NCT tests.
We have the RSA, the Road Safety Authority.

How many deaths on the roads in 2008?

279

How much did we spend on the RSA?

€40,421,757.00

Road safety is easy. And it is a revenue earner - big big time revenue earner for the lazy state.

Let's look at suicide. Here we have NOSP - National Office for Suicide Prevention. You will note that this is an Office. Not an Authority.

How many (known) suicides in 2008?

424

How much did we spend on the NOSP?

€5,097,601.00

Either we put the NOSP in charge of road safety and save both both money and lives, or we just leave Gaybo alone. In any case I will be accused of playing with figures and not understanding the complexity of the situation.

I don't give a flying fuck. People, especially men, are killing themselves. On a grand scale.

But there is no financial return in investment in suicide prevention. It's also not sexy.

In the meantime rural pubs are dying. Customers are kiling themselves. All very dramatic.

Depression is a cruel master.

A Death in Haiti

Haitian Children Food Poverty 2008 see NYDaily

from agnes in brandon hotel tralee;

So what is a death in Haiti. To have been born into abject poverty. To have no parents. To have guns, knives and terror permeating every horrible sweaty clammy second of every minute of every hour of every day.

To be bankrupt in Iceland. To be a child bred into prositution in India. To have no water in South Dublin. To be a family smothered, knifed and hanged by the father.

To be a father with your beautiful child dead in your arms.

Death in Haiti is nothing. Suffering, the dreadful experience of loss, of excruciating injuries, that is Haiti. It is all our suffering. This is one very small world.

"Death destroys a man: the idea of Death saves him". So said E.M. Forster.

In one year's time the Haitian earthquake will be merely a footnote to the highlights of 2010. It will require many more tsunamis and Haitis for us to learn that, in the end, we need each other.

How to Recognise a Sub-Saharan African in Ireland

Spot the Sub-Saharan African

from seanie at the bar in the grand hotel tralee;

You must hand it to the Gardai. Here is a quote from d'Examiner "The stop rate for Sub-Saharan Africans in Ireland was the highest for any ethnic minority surveyed in any of the 27 EU member states".

Now I am not an ignorant man, but  I must confess my difficulty with racial recognition. I would not know a Sub-Saharan African if I saw one. Is he (she) white, black whatever? Is a Sub-Saharan a lesser species of man - compared with a Saharan or Super-Saharan?

The article also states "More than 1,000 Sub-Saharan Africans and eastern Europeans were surveyed". No mention there of non Sub-Saharan Africans.

In my view the gardi must be pretty smart if they can pick out and harass Sub-Saharan Africans. As opposed to other Africans. Or Afro-Americans. Or French Africans. Or whatever you are having yourself.

Or Travellers.

My Path is Very Slippery - What can I do?

from loki in the station house, tralee;

Why is the council not gritting the footpaths on our estate or in our towns and cities?

Are people really asking this question?

The first thing you can do is wake up. This is supposed to be a Democracy and a Republic to boot. We are responsible for ourselves and each other. Why do people have to risk life and limb while trying to walk to the shops, especially old, weak people? Women with kids, men with kids, anyone walking from the bus to work.

Clean your frontage - your own frontage. Whether it be before a house, shop or even Garda Station. And what about Government and Local Offices? Outside hospitals? Are they clear? You know they are not.

It's ridiculous. Be responsible. Do it yourself. In many countries you must, by law, clear your frontage. just google "Who removes the snow from sidewalks".

As far as the roads are concerned, I will address that in a further post.