novice-blogger

Am I getting old? Am I just a narky student who likes to complain about everything? Possibly, but I know that I don't like Bebo! Everyone has a Bebo account now, the thing is so popular that some Universities are looking to ban students from using it because it its effecting their studies.
When I heard of it first I didn't think about it much, and certainly didn't think it would catch on. But reflecting upon it now, I can fully understand how and why it has caught on, especially in Ireland.
Bebo epitomizes everything that is wrong with the modern Ireland we live in. Things have changed for the better in many ways, unemployment is at an all time low and people have more money than ever before. But, we have also become a nasrcissistic, self-obsessed, greedy nation. Just looking at some peoples Bebo is actually funny. They have essays on what their favorite film is, what they are scared of, their interests blah blah blah. Nobody cares, seriously. John from Dalkey, I don't care if your favorite colour is green and you are just back from Australia. Sandra from Cork, I really don't care that you loved Bridget Jones and that your favorite pub is O'Neills. I think people are really taking themselves too seriously. I know that the majority of the time its friends viewing other friends profiles but some of the stuff is sad, and the amount of detail that people will go into in describing themselves is actually hilarious.
A posing photo for the image on the profile, selected shots for the photo gallery, keeping up comments that they like and taking comments down that don't fit in, profile view to show just how popular you are........Aghhhh! Bebo is obviously a good way of keeping in contact with people and sharing photos, and I know that its only a bit of fun and many people probably don't take themselves seriously, but you could actually pick out the hardcore egotistical Bebo-ers off the street.
And your probably thinking is this fella for real? He's complaining and criticizing Bebo by Blogging about it, writing to an audience that may never even read this. Ah well, maybe I'm just a prime example of one another great flaw that has manifested in Ireland over the years - hypocrisy.

What a performance by Ireland on Wednesday. I for one am definitely not going to get carried away, but Ireland's 3-0 victory over Sweden was suprising and really encouraging. I must admit that I wasn't the most eager fan standing on the North terrace before kick-off, but in the end, it was most certainly worth the frostbite.

Ireland were excellent and Sweden were atrocious. I haven't seen an Irish side so hungry and determined in a very long time. Robbie Keane and Damien Duff gave everything, and this was very positive because these two in particular have really just cruised along in a lot of recent internationals. We're not going to win the euros or anything, but we played well and Stephen Ireland, Joey O'Brien, Stephen Reid and Richard Dunne were really impressive. The players look like they want to play for Staunton, so hopefully they can carry the same attitude on into the qualification campaign and if anything, play attractive football and bring back the determined style of play that worked so well for Ireland in the past.

Well, unfortunately our worst nightmare came to fruition last Saturday, as Dublins city centre came to a standstill. Cars were burnt, gaurds were attacked, innocent bystanders were assaulted, and all in the name of Republicanism - I don't think so.
I raised the debate concerning this parade the minute it was announced a few months ago. I'm not going to say I told you so, but how did the police not see this coming. Hardcore 'Republicans' were present and hell bent on disrupting proceedings. What I don't get about these people is that they seem to be the most vehement supporters of a United Ireland, but how can they ever hope to accomplish this when they cant even respect fellow 'islanders' right to protest?

Loyalists do like a bit of controversy and enjoy marching where it will get a reaction, but in a democratic, so called progressive society, they should have been respected and allowed to express themselves. This is exactly what many Loyalists wanted. They wanted to tarnish all southerners as sectarian bigots, who they could never hope to share power with. Well done boys. Walking around in your 'IRA will never go away' T-shirts, you destroyed 'your' own capital city and savaged 'your' own Garda force - nice one. If anything, you think that if you were going to injure and beat anyone it was going to be the loyalists, but they hadn't even started marching!
The typical media reaction is to blame SinnFein. Gerry and the boys are not stupid, and there is no way, when Sinn Fein are actually progressing in Irish politics, that they are going to send out some scumbags to riot in Dublin and affect their rejuvenated support.
Republican Sinn Fein - the political wing of the Real IRA - had a lot of supporters present and would of even initiated some disturbances, but it was fairly obvious to all that a load of scumbags were in town for the day and decided to get one over on the 'pigs' while they could. There was hardcore Republican involvement, but also a huge amount of thugs who carried out most of the damage. The best yet that I have heard is that Schu and Foot-locker were targeted because they are English stores. Give me a break, this wasn't some complete hardcore republican idealistic afternoon where even the 'Brits' shops would get it, it was a day of shame where the scumbags took advantage of the chaos to loot and cause havoc. In the name of true Republicanism, I don't think so. A reflection on the vermin still present and waiting in the wings of society for any opportunity, most definitely.

"A thousand ordinary unionist people are on the buses heading back north right now - just passing Dundalk as I type - and their abiding impression of the Irish Republic is going to be one of being penned into Parnell Square by violent republicans with petrol bombs and of having their right to get their point across stifled - (jeeeez, I mean the irony of republicans penning Protestant protestors into Parnell Square, named after perhaps the greatest ever Irish Protestant proponent of tolerant Republicanism...)"Comment from David Christopher a Unionist Poster

He's right you know. Any rational nationalist will realsie that while we may not agree with loyalists views or indeed some actions, we must respect them and demonstrate that the island of Ireland could be occupied by both catholic and protestants/nationalists and unionists, and that a united Ireland is a viable, democratic option in the future. Throwing bricks and bottles of piss on a Saturday afternoon in Dublin isn't going to help the situation or encourage unionists into a nationalist compromise. Whether you like it or not, they have a tradition and culture that they are also proud of. I dont agree with them parading with a picture of one of the dublin/monaghan bombers, even if he was an IRA victim, that is going to inflame tensions, but theres no excuse for the scenes in Dublin last Saturday, rather than promote nationalism and Irish pride, it made me feel embarrassed to be Irish for the first time in a very long while, probably since the Omagh bomb in fact.

Well, there was no actual blog awards but it was a great excuse for a class piss-up. The ladies looked stunning in their evening attire - cheesy but true - and us fella's looked like wannabe bank managers, but it was good craic and a top night in the end. Almost everyone was out - those that couldn't make it had genuine excuses - so the blogs have been a great success and have bonded the class like nothing else this term -other than the 'minidisc-gate' scandal. Fair play everyone, happy xmas and the rest, see you in the new year. Long live the blogs

As the relief and despair culminate following this mornings dreaded shorthand exam, I came across this exert while researching my history essay:

"Michael Finlan, Galway correspondent of the Irish Times', first newspaper job was on the Western people, Ballina. The reporters' desk was a long wooden bench, complete with lone typewriter, placed in the classroom so that the editor Fred Devere could keep an eye on his editorial staff. Finlan's colleagues when he joined the paper included John Healy and Jim McGuire, but only one reporter (Tony Burke) could write shorthand".

Fair play to Tony Burke, he must have listened to Eleanor (our shorthand lecturer) and practiced his shorthand for at least half-an-hour every night. Now, all that the rest of us shorthandedly challenged people need is a Tony Burke in our office, or maybe just make a greater effort with the bloody thing.

Stanley Williams inevitable fate was sealed by Mr. Schwazaneger last night, when he refused to grant him clemency. Stanley 'Tookie' Williams was pronounced dead at 8.12 (European time) this morning. Another Republican murder, this time carried out by the Predator.

A LOVE ULSTER parade is being planned for the centre of Dublin next month, including bands carrying Union Jacks and Orangemen wearing collarettes and carrying banners

The march along O'Connell Street and on to Leinster House will be led by northern victims of republican violence. It is designed to protest against the Irish and British governments plan to introduce legislation allowing on-the-run (OTR) terrorists to return to Ireland and benefit from an amnesty

The group have asked the Gardai for permission to fly the Union Jack flag, which has been granted, but while they said they respect tricoluorluor it will not be flown. What a suprise!

It is estimated that January's parade would involve 1,000 people, including 200 victims of violence, six flute bands and Orange Order members and supporters. These people have a right to express themselves, and hopefully I will go along and listen to what they have to say.

However, Loyalists hate everything that the Republic stands for. They don't recognise the state and in this respect their parade would be just as logical if it went through the heart of Calcutta. I understand that they are displaying their contempt for the Irish government and some of its policies towards the North, but really, orangemen marching and the DUP speaking outside of Leinster house is quite insulting to many nationalists. Maybe a traditional Irish flute band and followers holding tricoulours should ask Mr. Paisley & co. how they'd feel if they marched towards Stormont through east Belfast, the Shankill Road et al. Different reaction I feel.

Many nationalists will go and see and the parade and listen to what Mr. Donaldson has to say. some embiciles may try and disrupt proceedings, but hopefully people will respect what they have to say because they would just love to find any excuse as to why it would just not be possible to cooperate with us bigoted southerners.

We should show that we are a progressive forward thinking nation and respect their parade, speeches and opinions. Unfortunately, this is the DUP though. The party of Paisley that is against the Good Friday Agreement, thus, ultimately against peace. When the loyalists are upset or things are not going their way, - as we witnessed during the summer - they riot. These disturbances were in reaction to the blocking of an orange order parade but were not condemned by the associationition or politicians.

There is an awful lot of anger and resentment within the loyalist community. But this is what happens when a community like the nationalist one in the North, that was maligned and discriminated against for so long, gain some political legitimacy and they have to actually work with these people and recognise them as equals. A bigoted police force, collusion with the British forces involved in the murders of nationalists, gerrymandering.....the list goes on. Most of these crimes were in the past and we have to move on, but do you really think Ian Paisley can embrace Catholics and move on?

Let them march, let them speak, but show more respect than the loyalists did to the catholic children of Holycross, who whilst trying to attend school and passing through a loyalist estate, were spat on, verbally abused and pelted with water balloons filled with urine.

It terrible to say really - especially as the war is ongoing, a country is in turmoil, so many people have lost their lives and the casualties are still mounting - but I have lost almost all interest in the War in Iraq, well, its media coverage anyway.

Familiarity breeds contempt. In terms of the War in Iraq, its not a scornful contempt but apathy. The war has now been going on for years and my interest in its media coverage has gradually diminished. During the week, I was looking at the Irish Times, there was a story about a massive suicide bomb in Baghdad that claimed the lives of 24 people. I read the headline. I didn't even read the report - I flicked on and read something about student nurses leading unhealthy lifestyles. I just wasn't interested, and this sort of atrocity is so common now that it would take something completely extraordinary to happen in the country to grab my attention.

Maybe there are more people like me who have just switched off from the war, or lost interest at least. Protests fell on deaf ears, Blair and Bush still pillage the country and 'create' democracy for these lucky Iraqis who are being westernised for there own benefit, to 'progress'. Depressing really, but my concentration now dwindles when Iraq arises. But is it just me? The report I brushed past was in the world news section, tucked away about halfway through the paper. Perhaps this demonstrates the loss of interest from the public, or maybe its just a reflection of editorial hierarchies, or both.