Well, the unthinkable has happened. Fianna Fail have been embraced for another term by the people of Ireland. This means that we'll have 15 years in a row of lies and broken promises. It means that FF will have been in power for most of the last quarter of a century, except for a couple of brief spells here and there!! That's just not healthy.
Why did it happen? Greed? A feeling that they're all the same? A wish to let FF deal with the predicted job losses and general economic slow-down? I think it's because people wanted to vote in their local man ( and it was nearly all men again). I don't understand that argument. Surely, we need an overall Government, overall policy, overall planning?? Not fabulous roads in South Kerry from Jackie-Healy Rae, for example, while the surrounding roads are pitiable!!
We don't quite know yet who will form our brand new, shiny Government, but the Fianna Failers look set to be the bosses! Brian Cowen (Bertie's next in command and "very close, personal friend" - wonder if he ever gave him a dig out?) raged yesterday that he doesn't need anyone to straighten him up or to clean him up (it seems someone from the Green Party said FF needed just that - imagine!).
If FF choose to take a few Independents into their arms, you can be sure they'll strike a hard bargain. Jackie will want more fine roads; Tony will want x,y,z for inner city Dublin, Beverley will want the same for her gaff. People are saying that this crack would be terrible for the country. Let's face the truth though, every TD is an Independent in a way, because they have to satisfy their own local constituents in our local politics-system. Can a country really be run properly like this?
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Pick your party
Check out this website:
www.pickyourparty.ie
answer a few questions and find the political party closest to your own beliefs.
By the way, are those polls for real?
Will Fianna Fail actually get back in to Government again?
15 years of lies?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
www.pickyourparty.ie
answer a few questions and find the political party closest to your own beliefs.
By the way, are those polls for real?
Will Fianna Fail actually get back in to Government again?
15 years of lies?
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
The Real Issues?
What are the real issues in this election?
Bertie and co. keep telling us to get off his case and talk about the real issues, so what are they?
I suppose that depends on who you are, where you stand, what you need.
The nurses think that the main issue is a 35 hour week and more pay.
The consultants think the main issue is to hold what they have.
The teachers think that having one of the largest class sizes in Europe is the main issue.
Lots of people think that the mega house prices, long commutes and lack of child care are the main issues.
Others believe that law and order madness is the main issue.
I asked my firstborn what he thought (he'll be voting for the first time next week). He gave a great answer, that I never thought of, but I like.
He said that the main issue that needs to be resolved in Ireland today is our I.T. situation. We need fast broadband all over Ireland TODAY. We need proper funding in schools for I.T. TODAY. We need to get way up to speed on I.T. in order to have a hope of competing with other countries now and in the future.
We are miles behind. Do you know how many computers the Government have bought for Irish primary schools? NONE. Yes, that's right - ZERO. In around 1998, Gateway GAVE every primary school ONE machine, not the Government. Parents and teachers fundraised to buy others. Tesco got shoppers to collect tokens for more. The Government gave schools grants in 2000 of a couple of grand, to spend on I.T. - software, printers, ink cartridges the whole lot. A few schools managed to buy a computer or two maybe. Nothing for years now, not a penny. Schools got broadband during the last 6-12 months, but it is absolutely dire - so slow. Many schools have returned to dial-up, to get a more reliable, faster service! Imagine! Not one cent has ever been given to schools for upkeep, maintenance, renewal etc.... No grants for building a computer room either! It's a joke, except it's not funny.
We have fallen completely behind in the I.T. field in Ireland, and it could very well BE the main issue.
What do you think?
Bertie and co. keep telling us to get off his case and talk about the real issues, so what are they?
I suppose that depends on who you are, where you stand, what you need.
The nurses think that the main issue is a 35 hour week and more pay.
The consultants think the main issue is to hold what they have.
The teachers think that having one of the largest class sizes in Europe is the main issue.
Lots of people think that the mega house prices, long commutes and lack of child care are the main issues.
Others believe that law and order madness is the main issue.
I asked my firstborn what he thought (he'll be voting for the first time next week). He gave a great answer, that I never thought of, but I like.
He said that the main issue that needs to be resolved in Ireland today is our I.T. situation. We need fast broadband all over Ireland TODAY. We need proper funding in schools for I.T. TODAY. We need to get way up to speed on I.T. in order to have a hope of competing with other countries now and in the future.
We are miles behind. Do you know how many computers the Government have bought for Irish primary schools? NONE. Yes, that's right - ZERO. In around 1998, Gateway GAVE every primary school ONE machine, not the Government. Parents and teachers fundraised to buy others. Tesco got shoppers to collect tokens for more. The Government gave schools grants in 2000 of a couple of grand, to spend on I.T. - software, printers, ink cartridges the whole lot. A few schools managed to buy a computer or two maybe. Nothing for years now, not a penny. Schools got broadband during the last 6-12 months, but it is absolutely dire - so slow. Many schools have returned to dial-up, to get a more reliable, faster service! Imagine! Not one cent has ever been given to schools for upkeep, maintenance, renewal etc.... No grants for building a computer room either! It's a joke, except it's not funny.
We have fallen completely behind in the I.T. field in Ireland, and it could very well BE the main issue.
What do you think?
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Ah sure we all love the nurses
Did you hear Mary Harney saying that on Questions and Answers a couple of weeks ago? She was showing the nurses her tough, but caring side, giving out about their strike action. The audience were drawing in their breath a bit, so she said:
"Ah sure, we all love the nurses" or something like that.
I've been thinking about it.
I don't love the nurses.
Most of my experiences with nurses have been bad ones.
The nurses I know personally have told me great, gas stories about night shift when five are on duty, but four go to bed for the night!!?? (I wasn't impressed!). They told me about the overtime they get paid; the anti-social hours money they get paid; the three days on and four days off they work; the bitchiness towards each other and to patients who complain; the way they won't "lower themselves" to carry out duties that I thought were "nursing" the patient???.....
I'd get over all that, but, other experiences I've had with nurses aren't as easy to take. For example, the slowness in bringing pain relief to someone in absolute agony; the impatience, bluntness and roughness after I had my first baby; the promise to get something / someone when they get a chance and never doing it; the making me feel like I was getting a huge favour when they did something for me / my child / husband / mother; the baby talk to me, as if I was an imbecile; the needless temperature taking just when the poor patient had gotten off to sleep; the endless, pointless walking around they do up and down the corridors, in and out of offices just amazes and maddens me; the bed sores from neglect; the fear they have instilled in my old people; the calling them by their first name when they might have preferred Mr / Mrs; the night-time eating of my little four year old cousin's sweeties as she watched helplessly...
Nah. I don't like nurses in general. I really like my nurse friends, and I'm sure that some nurses are absolutely fabulous. I just haven't met many on my travels through our hospitals.
"Ah sure, we all love the nurses" or something like that.
I've been thinking about it.
I don't love the nurses.
Most of my experiences with nurses have been bad ones.
The nurses I know personally have told me great, gas stories about night shift when five are on duty, but four go to bed for the night!!?? (I wasn't impressed!). They told me about the overtime they get paid; the anti-social hours money they get paid; the three days on and four days off they work; the bitchiness towards each other and to patients who complain; the way they won't "lower themselves" to carry out duties that I thought were "nursing" the patient???.....
I'd get over all that, but, other experiences I've had with nurses aren't as easy to take. For example, the slowness in bringing pain relief to someone in absolute agony; the impatience, bluntness and roughness after I had my first baby; the promise to get something / someone when they get a chance and never doing it; the making me feel like I was getting a huge favour when they did something for me / my child / husband / mother; the baby talk to me, as if I was an imbecile; the needless temperature taking just when the poor patient had gotten off to sleep; the endless, pointless walking around they do up and down the corridors, in and out of offices just amazes and maddens me; the bed sores from neglect; the fear they have instilled in my old people; the calling them by their first name when they might have preferred Mr / Mrs; the night-time eating of my little four year old cousin's sweeties as she watched helplessly...
Nah. I don't like nurses in general. I really like my nurse friends, and I'm sure that some nurses are absolutely fabulous. I just haven't met many on my travels through our hospitals.
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