Suddenly was everything over; the Exams past, the semester is over and my stay in Dublin have come to an end. Even as the two last week have consisted of visits from Norway, rude German student advisors, Ministers taken at gun point and a rather unplanned cold during the mentioned examination period, I haven’t been writing too much here. The cold and the five four exams in four days in a row explains much of that.
However, now I’m free, and now I’m leaving back home to Bergen, which I from time to another have missed. I have not missed the rest of Norway, but Bergen, absolutely. Hence, I can’t really say that I’m home before me and Scaramouch is sitting at my dig sharing a pizza and a couple of bottles of vine talking about the world passing.
I’m really not in mood for a deeper writing now as I’m a bit, quite, very, sad about leaving my new home in Donnybrook, the other guys at UCD, Liffey, the coffee at Starbucks, the GPO, Saint Stephen’s Green, the Bus who never comes, the rain, the food at the Pubs. The breach in the Wall were I have to get through in the mornings to get to the Campus, the pipes overlooking Dublin Bay, Wicklow Mountains in the morning; I could have been writing for hours about everything. As usual I will not do that, and would rather again dedicate a song to the situation without any sentimental speeches and symbolic manifestos over the time that have past and would come in the future. SO, to all of you from UCD, I’m off now, and..yeah..take care. I’ll be back.
My Heart Is In Ireland
By The Wolfe Tones
In the East End of London, I met an old man.
He kept a bar called the Horses and Tram.
My parents were Irish. They loved that dear land
The Cockney, he smiled, then he shook my old hand.
My heart is in Ireland, it's there I long to be.
Her hills and her valleys are calling to me.
Though born here in this land, my heart is in Ireland.
The land of the old folks is calling to me.
Near a coal mine in Wales, by a roadside cafe,
A young girl came smiling, and to me did say,
Well, my folks are from Ireland. My Da', he hopes one day
When he leaves the mines, sure we'll go back to stay.
My heart is in Ireland, it's there I long to be.
Her hills and her valleys are calling to me.
Though born here in this land, my heart is in Ireland.
The land of the old folks is calling to me.
Then I went through the Midlands, through each city and town.
I found there were Irish in each place I roamed.
And I drank and I sang at a pub they call the Crown.
With the Birmingham irish, we sang songs of home.
My heart is in Ireland, it's there I long to be.
Her hills and her valleys are calling to me.
Though born here in this land, my heart is in Ireland.
The land of the old folks is calling to me.
Then I went north to Scotland, to Glasgow on the Clyde.
I met with some young lads. They said, Celtic's our side.
All our folks are from Ireland, the island of the green.
A country we love, but a place we've not seen.
My heart is in Ireland, it's there I long to be.
Her hills and her valleys are calling to me.
Though born here in this land, my heart is in Ireland.
The land of the old folks is calling to me.
søndag 21. desember 2008
mandag 8. desember 2008
Let the People Sing!
While staying here in Dublin I had decided to have as little as possible with News and such from Norway, but from time to time have I just popped by some of the online newspapers to see what’s up back home. Normally, following the headlines, bad have turned worse and the Kingdom is at the edge of collapse into anarchy and it seems like the government knows too many people and speak to too many, that the prices still are too high, that Oslo cares less and less of the remaining 80 % of the population, that the soccer gets even worse and the regular feeling that the Civil War is just around the corner do indeed comes to me. The Defence buys the wrong fighters; Labour continues their treason against the working class without that the class seems to notice, the Conservative politicians are able to ask you to go to Hell in such a manner that you will enjoy the way; suddenly the global warming have made the winter better and it is still somebody who thinks Rosenborg have a possibility against European top-clubs. But, today was different. Today had some of the journalists in Dagbladet had a look across the sea and read a non-Nordic newspaper and made a comment about Dido’s last album. Oh, well, more precisely, the content of her songs(It should be mentioned that the headline were that the manager for the woman handball national team had given the goalkeeper a short instruction during the last match)
She has, as far as I know, quoted a sentence from “Men Behind the Wire” in one of her new songs. The first I noticed in this article were how simple it was written: "A song about Irish people captured by the British". "Captured"; that's sounds odd...what about INTERNED, without trail, judge or jury, that’s more like it. Does that change the story a bit? That the song unfortunately has been captured by the Real IRA (RIRA) and Continuity IRA (CIRA), that’s another storey, but the journalist should not forget that this songs and ballads are rather common here in the Republic. I'm not a extremist, and I seriously doubt that any other of those other 300 who took part at the Wolfe Tone concert at UCD in September are extreme Republicans eighter, nor the people in Galway. Or Carolls Irish Gifts Inc. The people over here has song this songs for decades, and the Barleycorn are just another way for cultural expressionism, footed in quite a serious part of the Irish history. Compared to a lot of other people in Falls Road (lovely place with a quite good view of Central Belfast) they did choose a rather constructive way of express their viewes and frustrations; many others joined the Officals and fought in the streets, which become clear during the Curfew. The English editon of this article was actually shorter I thing, but at least there you got a picture of the Barleycorn, but why it says Tallagh at the cover (why leave West Belfast just to move to Tallagh?), I have no idea, however, they do at least adress the song as a rebel song, which is more correct than Dagbaldets approach.
Gregory Campbell, Democratic Unionist Party , who are one the Protestant hard liners who fight against Irish as a official language in the North (which makes Northern Ireland the only territory in the EU where a official language isn’t able to use at public documents), have said that Dido have acted “thoughtless” and that the song were about people that were murderers and terrorists. My question then: is it less thoughtless to allow UVF continue functioning as a Society, and at the same time refusing to accept that the IRA (Provisionals) are gone? Is it less thoughtless promoting the importance of a public celebration of the British Army as they returns from Afghanistan (and the Remembrance day)or salute John Hermon, who recently passed away, as a great public serviceman, is it less thoughtless of Campbell addressing the All-Ireland Football Cup as an “international event” and stressing the point that Tyrone was a British team? I guess not.
So, to Dagbladet: please do not address Irish Folk songs as “IRA-songs”, it just sound a bit narrow minded and indicated a black/white perspective that the media seems to adapt. May I just remind ye that the new Max Manus movie is about a man who basically did exactly the same against the germans as the IRA did against the Brits, and that we have tendency to embrace the old Norse traditions, just think at the Saint Olav Drama (A tall, blonde Christian guy fighting a pagan army), which indeed are the very same the National Socialists did embrace some 70 years ago.
To Gregory Campbell: you are minister for the ENTIRE North. Not only the protestant part of the population. You have Stormont, the rest of us have the songs. Live with it.
Go Dido! Next time you should sing the entire song!
She has, as far as I know, quoted a sentence from “Men Behind the Wire” in one of her new songs. The first I noticed in this article were how simple it was written: "A song about Irish people captured by the British". "Captured"; that's sounds odd...what about INTERNED, without trail, judge or jury, that’s more like it. Does that change the story a bit? That the song unfortunately has been captured by the Real IRA (RIRA) and Continuity IRA (CIRA), that’s another storey, but the journalist should not forget that this songs and ballads are rather common here in the Republic. I'm not a extremist, and I seriously doubt that any other of those other 300 who took part at the Wolfe Tone concert at UCD in September are extreme Republicans eighter, nor the people in Galway. Or Carolls Irish Gifts Inc. The people over here has song this songs for decades, and the Barleycorn are just another way for cultural expressionism, footed in quite a serious part of the Irish history. Compared to a lot of other people in Falls Road (lovely place with a quite good view of Central Belfast) they did choose a rather constructive way of express their viewes and frustrations; many others joined the Officals and fought in the streets, which become clear during the Curfew. The English editon of this article was actually shorter I thing, but at least there you got a picture of the Barleycorn, but why it says Tallagh at the cover (why leave West Belfast just to move to Tallagh?), I have no idea, however, they do at least adress the song as a rebel song, which is more correct than Dagbaldets approach.
Gregory Campbell, Democratic Unionist Party , who are one the Protestant hard liners who fight against Irish as a official language in the North (which makes Northern Ireland the only territory in the EU where a official language isn’t able to use at public documents), have said that Dido have acted “thoughtless” and that the song were about people that were murderers and terrorists. My question then: is it less thoughtless to allow UVF continue functioning as a Society, and at the same time refusing to accept that the IRA (Provisionals) are gone? Is it less thoughtless promoting the importance of a public celebration of the British Army as they returns from Afghanistan (and the Remembrance day)or salute John Hermon, who recently passed away, as a great public serviceman, is it less thoughtless of Campbell addressing the All-Ireland Football Cup as an “international event” and stressing the point that Tyrone was a British team? I guess not.
So, to Dagbladet: please do not address Irish Folk songs as “IRA-songs”, it just sound a bit narrow minded and indicated a black/white perspective that the media seems to adapt. May I just remind ye that the new Max Manus movie is about a man who basically did exactly the same against the germans as the IRA did against the Brits, and that we have tendency to embrace the old Norse traditions, just think at the Saint Olav Drama (A tall, blonde Christian guy fighting a pagan army), which indeed are the very same the National Socialists did embrace some 70 years ago.
To Gregory Campbell: you are minister for the ENTIRE North. Not only the protestant part of the population. You have Stormont, the rest of us have the songs. Live with it.
Go Dido! Next time you should sing the entire song!
- Proud we march behind our banner. Firm we stand behind Dido.
torsdag 4. desember 2008
Very first, Mik, thanks for leaving a comment! It’s a sham that we didn’t think about this earlier, but, at least we have several lines for communication! Have put a bit extra work in the blog since I’m a hard line anti-Facebook, so every positive feedback is a craic! About the Norwegian part: sorry, just a bit in lack of time to do the English proper, and you know how it is in December, time isn’t what we have enough of. But thanks for reading, and guess I see you at the next breakfast!
To Rick, who thought that I were Irish; apologies, I’m only living here in Dublin, and do some correspondence back home to Norway, hence, the Dublin Correspondent. Anyway thanks for reading my blog, I have been totally lost in work the recent days so it has been rather limited writing at the blog. Anyway, you are right; at this Emerald Isle it is the Irish who is the Catholics and the Protestants in Ulster who has a Scottish heritage, known as Ulster-Scots (it is 12 US presidents who had their ancestors in what is the North of Ireland today). However, it is some 100.000 Irish in the Republic who are Protestants as well, so the ethnical boundaries between them are not that clear-cut as it may look like. When it comes to the NWO I do find it more like an interesting theory, with, what do you say, remarkable many evil coincidences to the real life. My favourite indicator that something is wrong:
In the wake after the Irish rejected the Lisbon Treaty in the referendum the in July this year it was a lot of discussion between the defeated Pro-Treaty campaign about how it was possible that Sinn Féin and Declan Ganley had managed to defeat the overwhelming Pro-Treaty attitude in the Dáil (SF holds 4 seats out of 166). One of the reasons who was pointed out as the most crucial was that the voters where misinformed(Irish Times 10.10.08) and points out that One of the main reasons for the result was that "The internet was almost exclusively used by No campaigners" and that they’re in need for “the creation of a new communications culture in the commission and the need for "misinformation to be targeted by activating a rebuttal function in the member states and/or directly from Brussels”. I think that’s quite interesting that an EU official, the Vice-President of the Commission, blames the judgments of the people for the failure and want to create a mechanism to dictate, or licensing them self, to hold “the Truth”.
At nearly the same time Marianne Mikko, member of the European Commission on Cultural Affairs presents her ideas of how to stop the pollution of the cyberspace and, surprise, surprise, stop misinformation and ensure the “quality” of the interactive media. I call that I rather suspicious coincidence. I do not trust them, neigther if it is a proposal for registration of the bloggers, de facto us, even if they says it is to secure the property rights. So there you go Rick.
Anyway. I'm alive, just wanted to point that out after my abscense the recent week scince people had posted comments here I want to show them the respect by answer the.
søndag 30. november 2008
What's the Storey in Dublin?
- President Mary McAleese har vært i grenselandet i Cavan og besøkt Orange Ordenen, og med det har hun blitt første irske statsoverhode noen sinne til å sette sin fot i en Orange Hall. Eamon de Valera vrir seg i grava.
- Fás, den irske utgava av NAV, er ute i hardt vær fortiden. Ikke rart når de har kjøpt overheader for et 8 sifferet beløp (€) de siste fem årene. I tillegg har de vært på usedvanelig mange turer til Florida. Enda mer gøy bli det når det kommer fram til at styret på ti personer brukte ca €4500 pr pers på 1. klasse over Atlanteren, det er ikke så alt for ille, men tatt i betrakning at de i ettertid fikk lov til å bruke regjeringas privat jet til €7.000 i timen i drift på den 10 timers turen og at de ble så glade for det at de sitat "glemte" å avbestille billetten på 1. klasse...det blir litt dyrt. Rundt regna blir det €185.000 for en tur det. Og vi klager over dyrt statsapparat?
- Hugh Brady, UCDs enehersker og som i fremtiden vil få levningene sine utstilt i et personelig mausoleum på Belfield Campus har fått ledelsen ved Faculty of Art på nakken etter at han ikke ville øke bevilgningene til fakultetet fordi det var "lack of prospect of economic return" for en investering av den typen. Ser litt hvilken retning universitetet er på mot med tanke på den enorme utvidelsen av the Science Building/Center til faktisk å bli the Science District, for å ikke snakke om the Gateway, som inkluderer et hotell/konferanse senter, av alle ting. Akademia blir bokstavelig satt pris på.
- Samme Brady kan ha klussa med resultata til UCD. Eller, ikke klussa direkte, bare gjort det "alle andre gjør". I oktober viste det seg at UCD har gjort et hopp på verdens rankingen til Times Higher Education over verdens beste universiteter og er pr i dag nr 107 på verdensbasis, og en sterk 34de plass i Europa. I all hovedsak er det forholdet studenter pr. ansatt som virkelig gjør utslaget på denne statestikken og i Bradys tilfelle så har det blitt noen hundre ekstra ansatte her, og 4.000 ferre studenter, og vi har gått opp 70 plasser på 5 år. Tilfeldig? Neppe, dessverre. Uansett, la oss rette fokuset oppover og ikke gi oss før vi i det minste slår Århus, Southampton, Leeds, Uppsala, Helsinki og Warwick. Altså, Warwick? Hva pokker er det for noe? La oss lese ekstra hardt, og få UCD opp der vi hører hjemme, men spar oss for Brady.
- I Derry har for første gang siden Battle of Bogside i 1969 en forballkamp i Belfast vært mer interessang enn en tilsvarende kamp i Dublin. For første gang siden Troubles har en katolsk fotballspiller (Derry City er bortimot eneste irske fotballag i Nord) blitt tatt ut på det Nordirske landslaget. Ikke fordi det har vært snakk om bevist diskriminering, det er jo tilsvarende få protestanter på det All-Irske rugbylandslaget, men det var ført nå en har vært god nok. Gamle skiller forvitrer.
- Andre skiller står vedlike; klasseskillet for eksempel. Striden Dublin Nord (Sinn Féin/Labour/Fás/DCU) mot Dublin South (Dublin 4/TCD/UCD) blusset oppigjenn forrige uke etter at Argentina var knust på Croke Park i rugby. I mangle på nasjonalanlegg i Dublin har den irske Rugby Unionen, sammen med hobbyforbundet FAI (Fotballforbundet) gått sammen om å få Lansdowne Road opp på internasjonal standard som nytt nasjonalanlegg for rugby. Hovedargumentet mot dette er et tall: 68.800. Det er så mange som går for å se Irland spille mot et elendig lag en kald novemberkveld, mot New Zealand litt tidligere var det tett opp mot 80.000. Om et års tid står nye Lansdowne Road ferdig med en kapasitet på hele, hold dere fast: 50.000. De bygger et nytt anlegg som har plass til 18.000 ferre enn det et DÅRLIG lag klarer å trekke. Tenk på neste kamp mot England eller Skotland. Det at billettprisene ser ut til å dobbles og at anlegget blir noen titallsmillioner euro dyrere i tillegg kommer i tillegg. Det at anlegget ligger midt i Dublin 4 (en bedre utgave av Holmenkollåsen) gjør ikke saken bedre når prisene tilsvarer at beboerne der også er de eneste som kan koste på seg å se kampene. At rugby forbundet også har mesteparten av styrelederne sine bosatt i området og har gjort hva de kan for å få statsstøtte ved å ikke nevne behovet for transport til anlegget slik at det å komme seg dit blir en opplevelse i seg selv er omtrent like publikumsvennelig og appelerende for de bosatt nord for Liffey som for den jevne AP/FrP velger når Statsministerfruen begynner å uttale seg om hva som er typiske møbler. Et ytters festelig innlegg skrevet på en blogg hos Irish Times.
- En lottomillionær var riktig så uheldig i går og blei drept av et løpsk vogntog i det han hadde henta den nye bilen han hadde kjøpt for premien. Noen som ser det ironiske?
- Noen som kunne ha trengt slike penger er folket i Donegal som er passe forbannet for tiden etter budsjettkuttet i skolevesnet, som går hardt utover de små Irske (som i gælisk) skolene på Vestkysten. Så for å addressere missnøya med Dublin-styret møttes ikke mindre enn mellom 8-9000 opp i Letterkenny, en by med 6.000 innbyggere for å demonstrere. Det som virkelig gjorde susen var at marsjen ble ledet av et kompani med sekkepiper som spilte for fulle piper. Er det noe rart at Sylvia Brustad får lov til å legge ned alt som kan redde liv utenfor Akershus? Femten-tjue middelaldrene sjukepleiere på Rjukan som står å synger passe ukoordinert på en sang skrevet spontant i pausa dagen før blir på en måte litt...godt å bli kvitt. 8.000 togenes opp Karl Johan med Internasjonalen på sekkepipe hadde vært noe helt anna. Lov og håpe.
Dublin 4, Over og ut.
fredag 28. november 2008
Siste forelesing på UCD, for denne gang.
Da var siste forelesing unnagjort dette semestret, og den var interessang nok i seg selv, og igjen var det EU-klassa som utmerket seg, ikke bare fordi det var den absolutt siste akademiske avtalen jeg har før kl 18 den 9de Desember, men også innholdet. Som vanlig.
Moro nok var det kritikken mot EU som skulle opp på agendaen, men det var såpass mye som skulle gjennomgås at den delen ble satt til slutt i forelesningen, men ble kuttet helt ut fordi fremtiden til Unionen måtte drøftes i detaljer. Muligens fordi jeg er imot hele prinsippet, men noe som slår meg til stadighet i dette kurset er hvor nedlatende tonen til Unionistene er mot de som ikke er medlemmer. Island fikk i aller høyeste grad passet sitt påskrevet for å være en kjedelig stat med en befolkning som kun tenkte på sin egen fisk og var derfor enkle nok til å vende om til å støtte Unionen. Konklusjonen ble at Island var for liten til å utgjøre noen viktighet for EU. Hvem sier noe slikt fra talerstolen når en skal lære 40 personer om EUs politikk? Prof. Panke var derimot desto mer interessert i Tyrkia som EU medlem, og avfeide absolutt all tvil om gyldigheta for medlemskapet som ikke passet til København Konsensuset, om kriteriene for nye land for å melde seg inn i Unionen, som lite holdbare. Det var midt i denne diskusjonen angående det første punktet: Respekt for menneskerettigheter og minoriteter at det som virkelig fikk meg til å sette kaffen i halsen og lysten til å bryte inn i diskusjonen som klassas eneste Euroskeptiker. Sitat:
People critizize Turkey for their political culture
and the minority rights. Political culture are not included in the Copenhagen Consensus, that's no issue. They do have some problems with human rights...fair enough. That is not a issue. In general there's no major in the political culture in Europe and Turkey.
Hva svarte skal det egentlig bety? Greit nok å gå inn i et naboland og bombe egen minoritet? Ingen forskjell på den politiske kulturen i Europa og Tyrkia? Med all respekt for tyrkerne; men jeg kan ikke huske at den Irske hæren rykket inn i Dublin, besatte regjeringskvartalet og alle offentlige bygninger og tvang Brian Cowen til å gå av fordi han er i utakt med elektoratet og ligger helt i grenselandet for å bryte med grunnloven. Menneskerettigheter ikke noe prinsipp for å slippe inn i "Europa", betyr det at i teorien kan Spania fortsette å ha det gøy i Baskerland, UK i Nord, Finland, om de føler for det, på Åland og Ungarn og Romania mot sigøynerne? Greit nok å kalle et politisk parti, PKK, for "terrorister", hvilket EU faktisk gjør, og så behandle dem der etter. Merker at jeg har gått fra å forakte prinsippet til EU til å virkelig hate opplegget rundt det. Garantist for "Fred, stabilitet og velstand", synes det argumentet blir litt utvannet når velstanden er bassert på konstitusjonell handelsliberalisme (Lisboa Traktaten), Stabilitet gjennom biometri, maktkonsentrasjon i Brüssel, gjensidig avhengighet og Fred samtidig som noen av medlemslandene setter opp amerikanske rakketramper på russergrensa og det stadige nærværet av terrorister innenfor murene. Legg til den europeiske identiteten(Belfast er jo en by hvor europeerne med den største glede omgås hverandre), hva nå enn det er, som det hele tida blir prata på så blir jo dette riktig så fint. Glad for å være ferdig med det; hjem i januar og inn i "Nei til EU".
tirsdag 25. november 2008
Concerning Brian Hayes;
Mr Hayes tried to promote himself as a man of the people, which he indeed are if he's graduated from Trinity College, and did therefor answer quite honost to a question, or rather a 5 minute long series of question from a Young Fine Faeler that perhaps had taken his interest abit too fare and had no intention to stop talking and form short question that people that havn't read the entire Budget, Fine Gael and Finna Fáil Manifestos in a comparative way in addition to know the voting history in the Dáil since 1995.
Good to know what the middle aged men with black suite and blue tie who tries to rule us really feels about their jobs.
Thank you for asking that question, and I also want to
thank you for actually spending your time to show up and listen to all the rubish in (the Educational) Committee.
Good to know what the middle aged men with black suite and blue tie who tries to rule us really feels about their jobs.
What the University is all about: Learning Education.
I’m back to the normal after a short visit from Norway during the weekend and did celebrate my regained independence by quite spontaneous drop by a political meeting hosted by Brian Hayes, a Fine Gael TD, from Dublin South West who, as most of the Fine Gaels at present time, did what he could to promote himself as a man of the people (Dublin South West are…not like Donnybrook or Belfield, or any other part of D4), and did also make it clear that “either you are a Communist, Socialist, Republican, Nationalist or Christian Democrat you should know that the only major possibility for redistribution in the society are by free education” and that “education are a public responsibility”. That’s heavy words from a representative from a right wing party, especially after describing the Irish School System as “Stalinistic”. Quite a liberal chap that really seeks consensus, especially because he’s the Christ Democrat as referred to above, and it is quite clear that Sinn Féin are the Nationalist, and the Republicans, but Finna Fáil isn’t anything like the socialists and communists he describes them as. Socialists/Communists that cuts the public sector to the bone, listen to the Church in matters of the European Union and rather steals the Health card for those over 70, rather increase the taxation on regular income? Once again, it is this little point named perspectives. Further are Fine Gael quite frustrated by the high number of teachers per pupil, the lack of funding to science, the lack of interest in Maths and physics, the massive administration at the seven universities, want more IT in the education and are not to fund of the quality of the teachers education either. Their answer is 1) increase the spending to a Scandinavian level and 2) formation of a new department of Higher Education. I don’t know, it is something that sounds a bit familiar. New department: better teachers; more teachers; more Mathematics…Djupedal? Solhjell? Aasland? Clemet? Anyone with a new, original policy? And by the way –just for the record- the Norwegian School do in fact crush the Irish. We got internet: and are not segregated across gender or religion.
Speaking about religion: the Republic have after the last Budget turned British anno the 1960s. The system is easy: Protestants enlists to private Protestant Schools and Catholics to the free schools were the Church is responsible. Because of the Irish history this haven’t been any problem because of the traditional upper class in Ireland have been Protestants, and never actually felt any real need of mingling with lower level of the society aka the Catholics. However, 40-50 years later this divide is nearly gone and I can’t really see the difference between a Pro-Irish and a Cath-Irsh. Anyway. These schools, who mostly are the only one available for Protestants, have in the recent decades been treated like other public fee-practicing schools, but in addition received a proportionally large part of a national Service Support grant, because the schools mostly are boarding schools and more expensive to run than the regular one, who by now every financial support from the State has be withdrawn. This leaves the Protestant part of the students/pupils few alternatives to expensive private schools, a declining quality on their remaining schools and rather limited rights on support from the Public. Guess Finna Fáil will get a hell lot to explain and prove that they won’t act like a occupational power if they want the reunification, sorry, don’t want to be unconstitutional…broaden the scope and the depth in the cooperation with the Northern part of the Island. And scary enough: Sinn Féin are remarkable silent even it is less then a month since they proclaimed the importance of free education for ever one.
torsdag 20. november 2008
Hva som skjer i Dáil Eireann etter siste lovforslag er avvist.
Sånn, en kort og grei sammenfatting av festlige hendelser de siste to dager og starter med vår alle hatede, eller i det minste sterkt mislikte, Taoisearch Brian Cowen, som nå gir et innblikk i hvordan de egentlige forhandlingene, strategier og politiske allianser blir planlagt, diskutert og trolig også avstemt. Veldig tillitsvekkende med det bildet også, det må sies.
Ellers så er stemninga i taket, i allefall på noen områder, etter at jeg igår gikk amokk på HMV Grafton Street og gikk til anskaffelse av første, og trolig siste, sesong av Moonlight, Sophia Myles' amerikanske debutt. Populær; tja. God; for hennes del, ja. Allmennintresse og appell for det brede poplikum; godt nok. Min smak: absolutt. I tillegg på mitt raid av HMV dukket en anna Sophia-film, the Abduction Club, opp for mitt åsyn, og det var på en måte veldig greit. Jeg veit at jeg for litt siden fornektet romantiske komediers eksistens, men velger å deffinere denna som en komedie og avslutter herved muligheten for noen debatt. Enkelt og greit. Grei slutt på uka.
onsdag 19. november 2008
Dagens gullkorn fra UCD og Dublin
Dr Devlin i det hun kommer inn i seminarrommet og ser seg rundt:
-We should indeed had a picture of Stalin here.
Turguide fra Sinn Féin ankommer partibutikken på Parnell Square sammen med ei gruppe. Hva og hvem dette egentlig var om vil forbli et mysterium da de kom inn døra, men suspekt virker det i allefall.
-(...)and later the IRA found him at a Pub not to fare from here, and we know that he fled and that they did shoot after him, but recent research shows that the hat they found later couldn't be his.
Komiker Paul Howard på foredrag på UCD om avstemninga på slutten om debatten.
- This House is of that opinion that Ringsend should be reclaimed by the Sea and the people of Tallagh..sorry..Dublin 24 should be...hm, they are living in Tallagh so what can be a punishment for them? Recall all the Lotto tickets...something.
Samme komiker om løsningen på den økonomiske depressjonen.
- This House is of that opinion that all the unemployed and poor should be chopped up and their proteins given to they who can pay for it and their children...sold. (Folket ler). You laugh. Ha, had I told that one over at Trinity it had been silent..and than someone would have notted their head and sad: "It is perhaps something in what you are saying"
tirsdag 18. november 2008
From Cork with mixed feelings.
So, after nearly a week in absence from the post as correspondent in matters concerning Dublin in general, UCD in particular and whatever ell that happens around Ireland, I finally found me some time to write some words. In short I have just spent the weekend in Co. Cork, done the surrounding countryside such as places like the village of Kinsale, Fort Charles, the Blarney Stone and the cathedral ruins at the Rock of Cashel. Quite different from the North of Ireland last week, and made it possible for me to take some 300 pictures, think that something like a new record for me, and some three times more pictures in three days that I did manage in eight days in Scotland in March.
Cork as a city was rather disappointing. Not because of any obvious reason, there were pubs there, there were a lot typical Irish streets there, but there were a lot of things that were missing; it was like the city were completely forgotten by the Tourist board, cause there were nothing special there. And in some way understand a friend of me, who is born there, when he answered me “No” when I asked him if he could give me two arguments for going to Cork. However, the places around are more interesting, but perhaps places such as Kinsale perhaps are a bit more, let us say pleasant, to visit in summer time.
The best place to visit then was the Castle in Blarney. A ruin, with a gothic mansion ruin beside it, and a bunch of crows and ravens living in it. And the stone of course, and I love it, best kiss in 2008 and I could indeed feel the Irish way of speaking build up together with the Luck of the Irish. And it did start pretty good as well, three of us, including the ISS leader, dropped the schedule and took a table at a local cafe and ordered a full Irish breakfast, and let the rest of the group wait for us. However, think about the actual words “Luck of the Irish”, it consist of two main words “Luck” and “Irish”. Luck is something that gives you a number of different benefits that you hadn’t expected; the Irish are a people at Isle just west of England. This sounds just nice, but together? Are we speaking about the same Irish? As I soon did discover, we are talking about the luck of a people that have starved and fled by the millions, that despite some 800 years of fight for independence just manage to gain control over 80 % of the Isle, that just 30 years ago were a agrarian country poorer than an East European country that had been isolated from the world marked for some decades, who still have problems concerning emigration, that basically still have to trust the Church in the development of the society and have a rather traumatic and highly complicated relationship with their British neighbours? That kind of luck are we talking about. Or is it anyother who call themself Irish? After some two hours with the new luck spreading from the lips and around the body I was trapped on the bus with PS I Love You, a way too typical romantic comedy -on which I have a ban and denies their very existence- running. Actually it was running twice, and I can’t see how it may be luck to watch Gerard Butler strip whit all the sounds that implies. That did hurt, and I do herby appeal to the United Nations and European Union to strike down this systematically violation of the Humans Fundamental Rights. Armed actions may be welcomed. Just make it stop. Stop the sounds. Please.
Cork as a city was rather disappointing. Not because of any obvious reason, there were pubs there, there were a lot typical Irish streets there, but there were a lot of things that were missing; it was like the city were completely forgotten by the Tourist board, cause there were nothing special there. And in some way understand a friend of me, who is born there, when he answered me “No” when I asked him if he could give me two arguments for going to Cork. However, the places around are more interesting, but perhaps places such as Kinsale perhaps are a bit more, let us say pleasant, to visit in summer time.
The best place to visit then was the Castle in Blarney. A ruin, with a gothic mansion ruin beside it, and a bunch of crows and ravens living in it. And the stone of course, and I love it, best kiss in 2008 and I could indeed feel the Irish way of speaking build up together with the Luck of the Irish. And it did start pretty good as well, three of us, including the ISS leader, dropped the schedule and took a table at a local cafe and ordered a full Irish breakfast, and let the rest of the group wait for us. However, think about the actual words “Luck of the Irish”, it consist of two main words “Luck” and “Irish”. Luck is something that gives you a number of different benefits that you hadn’t expected; the Irish are a people at Isle just west of England. This sounds just nice, but together? Are we speaking about the same Irish? As I soon did discover, we are talking about the luck of a people that have starved and fled by the millions, that despite some 800 years of fight for independence just manage to gain control over 80 % of the Isle, that just 30 years ago were a agrarian country poorer than an East European country that had been isolated from the world marked for some decades, who still have problems concerning emigration, that basically still have to trust the Church in the development of the society and have a rather traumatic and highly complicated relationship with their British neighbours? That kind of luck are we talking about. Or is it anyother who call themself Irish? After some two hours with the new luck spreading from the lips and around the body I was trapped on the bus with PS I Love You, a way too typical romantic comedy -on which I have a ban and denies their very existence- running. Actually it was running twice, and I can’t see how it may be luck to watch Gerard Butler strip whit all the sounds that implies. That did hurt, and I do herby appeal to the United Nations and European Union to strike down this systematically violation of the Humans Fundamental Rights. Armed actions may be welcomed. Just make it stop. Stop the sounds. Please.
I'm still Alive.
I, the Correspondent of Dublin 4, makes it known on behalf of the House that I'm still alive and in Health, despite my absence from this blog the recent week due to debates, a larger work load, Cork tours and the Janitor.
onsdag 12. november 2008
En usedvanelig lite politisk korrekt filmanalyse: Hunger
Veggmalri til minne om de som døde under Hungersstreiken i 1981Nok en gang har jeg da endt opp med å se en film jeg ikke var helt sikker på om jeg hadde godt av å se, fikk en overdose av irsk politisk film under Bloody Sunday i vår og har etter det aktivt styrt unna alt som kan likne. Dessverre lages det svært lite film som er severdig på denna øya, og det er som regel de politiske filmene som er de som er verdt å se. Uansett, jeg gikk og var en av 4 fra ISS som faktisk møtte opp.
The Hunger; en sterk film om Long Kesh og Bobby Sands av Steve McQueen.
Veldig kort. Vi er tilbake i 1981 og the Troubles har kostet vel 2000 mennesker livet siden Battle of Bogside i 1969. Maggie Thatcher nekter og gi fengslede Republikanere politisk status og Long Kesh er preget av Blanket og Dirt protester.
Noe av det første en merker med handlinga allerede fra åpningsscena er hvordan den -som sulten- er taus. De første 20 minuttene er tilnærmet uten dialog, kun enkelte setninger, rennende vann, batonger mot sementvegger, alt annet enn dialoger, og en radiosending som spiller av Maggie Thatchers stemme, som utover i filmen bare blir mer og mer motbydelig, og som minner meg på hvorfor jeg prøver å tillegge meg en irsk og ikke britisk aksent. Handlingen er i det hele dvelende, og på det mest intense følger vi en av de fengselsansatte som vasker en av koridorene for urinen fangene har het ut av cellene. Som dere skjønner; dette er ikke vakkert og vil aldri bli vakkert.
Selve handlinga begynner først etter et kvarter-ti minutter da en ny fange ankommer for å sone en 6 års dom for paramilitær virksomhet, logisk nok i IRA. Fordi han ikke har politisk status kler mannen da av seg og blir eskortert naken -etter å ha blitt slått ned av en av fengselsvaktene- til den cella -som for øverig har samtlige vegger innsmurt i avføring- hvor vi finner en hårete og avmagret Bobby Sands sitter under et teppe. Hvorfor det var sånn, faktisk ikke fordi det var slikt britiske myndigheter valgte å behandle sine fange rpå den måten, men det var faktisk slikt IRA og/eller Sinn Féinerne valgte å protestere: de nektet å bære uniformene til fengslet, og de nektet og vaske og stelle seg. Det blir på grensen til kvalmt å se Bobby Sands først gjøre sitt fornødne i en krok av cella for så å tegne møster av det på veggen -med dertil hørende lyder- mens medfangen -Gerry- sitter å spiser uten om å ta seg nærmere nær av det som skjer få meter fra han. Og igjen, Hunger er grusomt lite tildekkende, og skildrer egentlig alt for godt menneskets destruktive, og sadistiske sider. Radioer blir smuglet inn i fengslet vaginalt og analt, mat og aføring blandes til det absurde og brukes til å lede urin ut i korridorene.
Politivolden er til tider så makaber og vakte såpass sterke følelser at godt voksne mennesker forlot salen, og det er ikke til å legge sjul på at den følelsen mange irer har ovenfor briter er noe mer enn bitterhet. Er mindre enn en uke siden jeg var i Derry og Belfast, og vi kjenner alle til historiene derfra, og vet hva som har skjedd der oppe, og da få den åpne volden til RUC, som for mange er selve symbolet på protestanisk tyranni ovenfor den katolske minoriteten, blir da vel sterkt. Den sterkeste scena blir like vel svaret til RUC til opptøyene som oppstår i fengslet når fangene blir tildelt -nærmest på hån- klær, men ingen politiske rettigheter. 20 spesialstyrker stiller da opp i opprørsutstyr langs korridoren utenfor cellene og banker løs på fangene som blir dratt etter håret for å "undersøkes", men da håret er dratt ut blir tvunget til å krabbe selv. Det blir destruktivt, og hvor makkabert det enn høres ut, da en av fengselsoffiserene blir likvedert av IRA på et gamlehjem, var det et av de mest rettferdige drapene jeg har sett på film. Det blir destruktivt, og visuellt sterkt, og satt i kontekst; det blir mye som kan rettferdiggjøres.
Selve høydepunktet i filmen blir likevel en 10 minutter lang dialog, tatt som en tagning, mellom Bobby Sands og en prest, hvor Sands forklarer at de vil sette igang den etter hvert så tragiske sultestreiken. I Tett opp mot 10 minutter sitter de to på hver sin side av et bord, røyker og prater om alt fra Bobbys barndom, Troubles til konsekvensene av hva presten ser på som et selvmord, mens det hele er filmet i profil med oss som tilhørere. Dialogen blir veldig forklarende, uten om å være ovenfra og ned, og gir oss karrakteren Bobby Sands. Ideene og baktankene til mannen, politikken, integriteten og religiøsiteten som satte drømmen om et gjenforent Irland -om det så måtte bety martyrdøden for han, opp mot kostnadene -og de moralske sidene- med hele IRAs kamanje mot det Britiske styre og det faktumet at resultatet av sultestreiken teologisk sett var imot hele hans katolske tro.
Hvor volden i filmen så langt har vært strukturell, og det andre ovenfornevnte av ekskrementer i hovedsak selvforskyldt, blir selve Sulten psykisk uutholdelig. Å se mannen for åpen scene forfalle til noe levende dødt, fra en mann som selv med tre vakter over seg klarte å skalle til en RUC-mann tilslutt kan bæres i sengs av en gammel mann blir veldig vondt å se på, både av personlige (ser jo på Sands som en helt, til tross for mye av det han gjorde i aktiv tjeneste) og det å se liggesårene vokse, og høre legerapporten fortelle hvordan organene tar livet av seg selv og mannen bokstaveligtalt visne bort. Dog, scenen hvor Bobby ligger døende i badekaret og vakten blir ersattet av en ny vakt, som setter seg en meter fra han og med fult overlegg viser frem fingrene hvor UDA (Ulster Defence Association, sammenslutningen til Red Hand Commandos, Ulster Volumteer Force, Ulster Defence Regiment og andre dertil hørende paramilitærebevegelser) er tattoert, viser hvordan sypatiene til systemet(forbindelsene RUC - UVF er kjent) han kjempet i mot, og fortsatt gjør i det Sands reiser seg opp av badekaret og faller om av utmattelse før han får sparket og blir bært tilbake til senga definerer egentlig bare så alt for godt hvordan følelsen til det i Nord preger nasjonsbevisheta rundt her.
Filmen er stilig laget, uten tvil, og scenografien er til å gåsehud av, alt fra RUC konstabelens frokost, til røykepausa til den klaustrofobiske scena hvor vi følger øynene til Bobby Sands rundt i rommet, med en diffus summing i bakgrunnen som viser seg å tilhøre en besøkende som sitter på sengekanten og ikke klarer å komme gjennom den utmattelseståken Sands befinner seg i. Sterkt.
Hungersstriken var kalkulerende. Thatcher var like kynisk som de i Long Kesh, og 10 mann ble martyrer. Mer er det egentlig ikke å si. Hunger er, til tross for at den er veldig avslørende, noe grusomt absurd og uvirkelig i hvordan folk er villige til å offrelivet eller sjela for det de tror på, Og det er det Hunger fanger opp og gjør seg fortjent til en soleklar 6er. Den første følelsen jeg satt med som kunne tolkes og forstås var "Thatcher kan brenne..., men nå har jo dama pådratt seg Altzheimer, så da gjør det ikke noe om det tar litt tid". Ikke veldig politisk korrekt, men det var det første som falt meg inn. Historien blir veldig nær, og Sulten veldig godt skildret som en drøm nærmest, at det blir en slags solidaritetsfølelse som oppstår i salen mellom de tilstede og det som utspiller seg på lærettet. Bobby Sands er og blir en helt her, en martyr og uansett hvor lenge det går før denne øya er samlet igjen vil navnet hans bli nevnt den dagen det skjer.
6 November i år døde Sir John Hermon, sjefen for RUC mellom 1980 til 1989, og ble av samtlige protestantiske partier og aviser i nord hedret som en god samfunnsborger som hadde gjort mye godt for landet sitt, noen dager før hadde Hunger premiære i Belfast og Democratic Unionist Party (Hard-line protestanter) angrip filmen som en forhærligelse av terrorister. Ha det i bakhodet om du noengang ser denne filmen. Poenget er: dette er ikke en film en ser uten bakgrunnskunnskapene.
One of the Few
In their struggle to get more students abroad, the
We hafe a lot of different agreements throughout Europe (who for once doesn’t mean the countries subjected to the
Well, since she use those words to form such strong valued arguments, why not; I’ll think I’ll try a semester in
mandag 10. november 2008
Sunshine in Antrim, charming lassies and UVF in Belfast and Christmas preparations in Derry.
I felt at Thursday night that I was up to something secret, something merely legal as I sat watching the rain falling down of Southern Dublin and cutting away the Irish tricolour from my bag with the Belfast tickets at the desk on the other side of the room. All I was missing were Daniel Day-Lewis running through the garden with representatives from the Royal Ulster Constabulary or the British Army ten feet behind. A feeling of going out on a False Flag Operation or something like that. You do take some precautions, no reason to run the risk of getting social excluded even before you enter the first pub in an attempt to do the Belfast Night life dangerous.
Then, I’m back once more from the North; and what should I say about the Six counties? Quite craic! So let me start with the first first, logically. I took the morning train from Dublin Connolly at 11 AM at Friday and did, quite literary, past the boarder in north of Dundalk backward. Always the face towards Dublin ye know. My first act in the North were –quite surprisingly- to fall asleep, but before I did so my first impression of Ulster were that it was –as people that have been to the North says- rather scare equal to England, or perhaps parts of the Scottish Lowland. Anyway, the view was something totally different from the boring Irish countryside in the Midlands. It was mountains there...it actually WAS a view! Magnificent.
However, was soon back in consciousness and the impressions of the cities like Newry Portadown and Lisburn were that the Celtic Tiger did stop at boarder, and that the transfers from overseas were rather from Brussels, than Westminster: quite new roads and Community centres, but a bunch of sadly tarnished houses and farms. Belfast on her side were something ells. I lived at a hostel in Donegal Road, close to Sandy Row (Protestant) some ten minutes walk from the City Hall. What to say about the city is that it lacks in some perspectives a bit of the outer beauty, honestly, let’s face it, the Brits isn’t the most…their cities isn’t like the Irish, French and German, it do maintain a magnificent atmosphere, and its most important value; its inhabitants. Belfast. Belfast, Belfast, Belfast. It is something with the name; a certain image of something of the history, of what was. And in the centre of Belfast the only physical remaining of the Troubled times that remains is the murals. Despite that is Belfast just another city, with a history. Just as most of the other cities that are liked with Great Britain. And that’s what makes the city so different: it is, like it or not, British. It lays in Ireland, but the city and its surroundings are just as British as England itself: the flags, the people, at least the majority, the institutions, the buildings, everything.
The people are rather a interesting mix of Irish and British, and as the rest of the province they are a result of some generations of cultural and genetic consolidations, perhaps divided, perhaps targets for each other’s paramilitary organization, bricks in UKs affords to hold the counties and the Republic’s claim to regain it, but, controversially enough, they are a kind of nation between two nationalities. However, as you walk over to Shankhill (Protestant) and the Falls (Catholic) the differences are quite, radical, indeed. To see who’s who were in fact in these days extremely easy. Do first read the inscription at the very bottom of the Bloody Sunday Monument in Derry:
“Murdered by British Paratroopers on Bloody Sunday 30th of January 1972”
Secondly; today and yesterday were days of Remembrance of those fallen in war on duty for the United Kingdom. Hence, you should then show your support to your troops in form of wearing a little red rose and attend to service in the Church, or in one or another way pay the respect for those bleeding to death in the hill sides in Afghanistan so that the enemy combatants in the Tribes don’t blow up Dungiven, Bushmills, Ballymena or Larne...or other places of importance. A patriotic act (haha!) however, in that case, you should then salute the very same troops as mentioned above. And that’s a thing the other half of the population don't do. Hence, in the streets in Belfast there were a clear majority of thouse bearing this little red rose, and in Derry it was in fact nearly a minority of the population wearing this rose (perheps of historical reasons), but this was the only way to differ the two segments from each other. The Major in Belfast at the moment are actually member of Sinn Féin and as all other Republicans (Nationalists) he stayed away from such demonstrations, and went to the Republic. Yesterday morning I went out on a little morning trip in the area around the City Hall because I rather wanted the sandwiches at Subway than the breakfast at the Hostel and that it was a quite nice morning as well. Suddenly I hear music, a march, more precisely a march from “the Longest Day” known as Luftwaffe March. So, therefore I went towards the music and ends up facing the entire Belfast Brigade of the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) who after an agreement in 2006 they transformed from a paramilitary organization to a “non-military, civilianized, organization”. However, some of those guys walking beside me have the responsibility for killing more the 420 peoples, including 14 in Dublin; they are the counterpart to IRA. If Sinn Fein raises their voice in Stormont they are told that they are as bad as the IRA, in public the UVF, a listed terrorist organization in the UK may salute their dead comrades openly at the City Hall and sell (for £2, got the last of the large badges) their symbols in stores in Shankhill. Still it is somebody in UK who thinks that the SF major in Belfast dishonours the Peace process by refusing to honour the soldiers who in practical terms killed his people and the other organization who was doing the same are allowed honouring their soldiers. I would like to see the world press if the IRA had done the same in Rossville Street. Guess Pentagon or the Commission had sent a harsh diplomatic note to Dublin and Gerry Adams. I love this place!
Later that day I went on a tour to the Giant’s Causway at the very north of the province. A splendid day, who despite rumours of continuous rain and a rather Irish autumn day, the sun broke through the clouds as we drove through the Glens of Antrim and could, because of the cold weather, face the Scottish coastline in the horizon of the sea. And at this point, in the same way as at the Galway trip some two weeks ago, once again the reason for the nick name “the Green Island”. Ireland, both North and South of the boarder are ridiculously green. Everywhere, Derry, Bushmills, Giant’s Causway of Rathlin Sound, it is green. Emerald green. The Causway, can’t really be described, just felt, or more correctly..hey…just go there. I sat at the last dry stone and watched the waves crush towards the stones around me. Try that. Something more can’t be sad, or described. But a magnificent place, with a lot of epic tales and stories. Specially that one how says that it lives a creature inside one of the caves, which for some 700 years ago had a conversation with Robert the Bruce, THE Robert, the King of the Scots, and after that time have keep growing and today sneaks out at night to steal chickens from the local farmers.
Close to the Causway lays Dunluce Castle, another fairytale castle, but this one in ruins. During a storm some hundred years ago there were a storm haunting the North Irish Coast, which actually throw the castle’s kitchen to the sea. Dunluce are massive stone, resting on a top of a equal massive cliff pretty high above the sea; I do not want to know what kind of storm that was, or perhaps it was the stuff in the glasses and the Chieftain’s need to explain to his wife why the castle were in such a manner after the dinner. Guess half of the sagas from this region have to be footed in something like that.
Back to the peoples, I love them, as easy as that. If you enters a shop and they realizes your not from there they’re start talking to you, the police in Derry says hallo to you if they meet you in one of the streets off the main streets, some of the girls do smile at you when you pass by them. The problem however emerges once they open their mouth. The fact that the British girls do posses a rather benefitted look (compared to their sisters overseas) and that the (older) Irish men have turned more British in the way they dress, gives this society a kind of a-bit-of-the-best impression, but, it is a HUGE but in this. I guess the guy at HMW used tried to be polite, but not a chance that I understood him. Their language of the Irish up there are fecking impossible to understand. The Brits are a bit easier, but the Irish. Bah. No way, no bloody way. I’ll just nod and smile and that would in 99 % of the cases turn out positive for both parts. A bit traumatic.
Anyway: A song says that: “If we banish fear from Ulster’s name, then we free old Ireland”. And that’s pretty much summons up my impression of the Northern part of the Isle. If you like British and Irish stuff, paramilitary marching the streets, paintings, easy going people. Go for Belfast. I’m on my way back already.
Dublin. Out.
PS: I had the pleasure of joining the opening of the Christmas street/shopping –of absolutely everything- in Derry. After 5 minutes of dressed out rabbits and reindeers and a bit to mechanical songs a could see the pain in the faces of some of the fathers, and mothers, who only could mean one thing: The Sunday were perhaps a bad one, but this Saturday could turn pretty nasty as well.
torsdag 6. november 2008
Things are changeing, changeing utterly.
He won. And two days later I can’t really believe it, it’s just to enormous. It isn’t just the fact that Obama won, he recaptured Iowa, Nevada and New Mexico, forced Nebraska to split their votes and gain a foot in Red states such as Indiana, Virginia, North Carolina and Colorado. It’s…devastating for the republicans. They so deserve it; eight years of violating the Constitutional grated privacy, bringing the world to the very edge of Cold War and putting all who look like Christians in life threatening danger in certain parts of the world. It have been hard years for us all, and the Americans, but it is their own mistake that the reelected him in 2004. Let us not forget that. Nor that Bush has in fact done his work quite good. Yes, he have done a quite good job, if your living in Jerusalem, or are a reverend in Utah, or weapon store owner outside San Antonio, Texas. But, to the rest of us who in one or another way have some perspectives: he’s out. We won’t miss him.
It was rather emotional watching the rally in Chicago yesterday morning. The Dream was alive. To be honest; I’m of that opinion that what’s differs Europeans from the Americans is that we never fell asleep as they start Dreaming, however, it was something Disney-ish over the acceptance speech to Obama. And I loved it. For the first time in nearly a decade I actually enjoyed listening to an American politician. Of course, I can’t out stand the “greatest nation on the earth”, God blesh…” yeah you know, the regular propaganda stuff, but, guess that’s mandatory for presidents and presidents-elected to say that. Anyway, some things will never change, not even under Obama. But, the rally, the feelings, the actual picture of those thousands gathers around him, it was as he said, the UNITED States of America. So, I will not do any comments about that, he had right, that the doubts in the Dream actually could be questioned. The Slave has become the Master, and suddenly the US can’t longer be attacked for being a oligarchy with a democratic attitude. It is strange. Do we suddenly have to like US again?
Anyway. I will place some more text here later, have some more drafted, but it is just a bit too late, and I'm off for some peaceful and quite days in Belfast tomorrow morning. (I have always wanted to use those words in a single sentece)
By the way; if somebody are interested I'm open for a deeper talk about the Irish Constitution when I'm back.
onsdag 5. november 2008
Resultater tikker inn og jeg fortaper meg selv i valgmenn.
19.10, Chicago tid
Reultata kommer inn. South Carolina, Tennessee og Oklahoma går til McCain, men New England går til Obama! Ikke bare gikk de for Obama, men de gikk STORT for Obama. Det inkluderer da Pennsylvania. Dette begynner å jevne seg ut, og så langt leder Obama også i folket også, samt i valgmenn. Dessverre ser det ut til at Virginia også glipper, men, men North Carolina er enda ikke avgjort, og en hver republikansk stat tatt er en seier på veien til Pennsylvania Avenue. Krysser fingrene.
Enn så lenge går senatet også i demokratenes retning virker det som, er på nuværende tidspunkt 45-29 og der har James Gilmore tapt for Mark Warner med ganske så klar margin. Da gjenstår det bare å se om denne efekten kan ha smittet over på Obama eller motsatt.
*19:23*
Der kom Illinois! Lurte på hvor det blei av den staten ja, de kom seint, men de svikter ikke senatoren sin. 21 nye valgmenn og ..oi..oi...oi
*20:28 NY Tid*
Pennsylvania er blå i år også! Haha! Innsatsen til McCain har vært forgjeves, og de bitre som beholdt våpnene og bibelene sine beholdt også støtten til Democratene. 21 nye valgmenn og vi nærmer oss de første 100. Stemninga er god og jeg begynner på muffinsene, og der kom New Hampshire også. Du snakker. Men kan NBC snart slutte å sende ut alle disse breaking news'a.
*20:32 NY Tid*
Stemninga holder seg oppe selv om Arkensas og Alabama går til McCain. Ingen overraskelser det heller, men hvor er den afrikansk amerikanske delen av befolkningen, er det ikke de som virkelig burde ha samlet seg om Obama i de statene? Uansett 103 - 39 i Democratisk favør. Dette er gøy.
*20:39 NY*
Rykter om at Georgia går for McCain, samtidig som forspranget til Obama i folet nå er nesten spist opp. Samtidig leder McCain med 10 % i Virginia, hvem pokker hadde trodd det? Er det kanskje noe i det FOX News' tilhengere hevder at all annen media er venstrevridde propagandister og kurrpte? Vi får se, ser nå at det er en del valgkretser igjen som ikke er tellt opp, og de ligger i nærheta va de større byene og grensa til Maryland.
*20.45 NY*
Arkensas og Georgia er røde, og for en gang skyld er jeg skuffa over et slikt budskap. Jeg hadde et ørlite håp om at alle de 13 gamle koloniene skulle gå til Democratene, kanskje uten South Carolina, men nå ser dette dårlig ut. Får trøste oss med at Florida ser ut til å gå i Democratisk favør, og da, da er igrunnen løpet kjørt for Republikanerne. Eh...har noen hørt noe fra Rhode Island? Kan noen ringe CNN og fortelle dem at stemma fra Rhode Island er gått tapt i opptellinga eller blitt tatt som en valgkrets i Connecticut?
Reultata kommer inn. South Carolina, Tennessee og Oklahoma går til McCain, men New England går til Obama! Ikke bare gikk de for Obama, men de gikk STORT for Obama. Det inkluderer da Pennsylvania. Dette begynner å jevne seg ut, og så langt leder Obama også i folket også, samt i valgmenn. Dessverre ser det ut til at Virginia også glipper, men, men North Carolina er enda ikke avgjort, og en hver republikansk stat tatt er en seier på veien til Pennsylvania Avenue. Krysser fingrene.
Enn så lenge går senatet også i demokratenes retning virker det som, er på nuværende tidspunkt 45-29 og der har James Gilmore tapt for Mark Warner med ganske så klar margin. Da gjenstår det bare å se om denne efekten kan ha smittet over på Obama eller motsatt.
*19:23*
Der kom Illinois! Lurte på hvor det blei av den staten ja, de kom seint, men de svikter ikke senatoren sin. 21 nye valgmenn og ..oi..oi...oi
*20:28 NY Tid*
Pennsylvania er blå i år også! Haha! Innsatsen til McCain har vært forgjeves, og de bitre som beholdt våpnene og bibelene sine beholdt også støtten til Democratene. 21 nye valgmenn og vi nærmer oss de første 100. Stemninga er god og jeg begynner på muffinsene, og der kom New Hampshire også. Du snakker. Men kan NBC snart slutte å sende ut alle disse breaking news'a.
*20:32 NY Tid*
Stemninga holder seg oppe selv om Arkensas og Alabama går til McCain. Ingen overraskelser det heller, men hvor er den afrikansk amerikanske delen av befolkningen, er det ikke de som virkelig burde ha samlet seg om Obama i de statene? Uansett 103 - 39 i Democratisk favør. Dette er gøy.
*20:39 NY*
Rykter om at Georgia går for McCain, samtidig som forspranget til Obama i folet nå er nesten spist opp. Samtidig leder McCain med 10 % i Virginia, hvem pokker hadde trodd det? Er det kanskje noe i det FOX News' tilhengere hevder at all annen media er venstrevridde propagandister og kurrpte? Vi får se, ser nå at det er en del valgkretser igjen som ikke er tellt opp, og de ligger i nærheta va de større byene og grensa til Maryland.
*20.45 NY*
Arkensas og Georgia er røde, og for en gang skyld er jeg skuffa over et slikt budskap. Jeg hadde et ørlite håp om at alle de 13 gamle koloniene skulle gå til Democratene, kanskje uten South Carolina, men nå ser dette dårlig ut. Får trøste oss med at Florida ser ut til å gå i Democratisk favør, og da, da er igrunnen løpet kjørt for Republikanerne. Eh...har noen hørt noe fra Rhode Island? Kan noen ringe CNN og fortelle dem at stemma fra Rhode Island er gått tapt i opptellinga eller blitt tatt som en valgkrets i Connecticut?
*20:54 NY Tid*
Eddie Izzard som politisk kommentator? Jojo, han virker da som om han har peilig på den han pratre om.
*02:00 London tid*
Nå stenger the Mid-West og New York. Men kan CNN snart bekrefte Georgia? Der bekrefta de i allefall Alabama.
DER! FOX kaller Ohio for Obama, som eneste stasjon så langt, eller, der trakk de faktisk det tilbake, men New Mexico ser også ut til å gå i riktig retning. NBC kaller Winconsin til Obama. Det samme med New York. Haha. Statene fra fra 2000 og 2004 holder stand!
Wyoming, Dick Cheneys hjemstat går, overraskende nok, til Republikanerne. Men de store statene rundt Michigan går nok en gang til Deocratene, det samtidig som pastor Jessie Jackson kommer på TV.
*20.06 Chicago*
Filler'n, der gikk North Dakota til McCain. Hadde en god følelse der. Pokkers norske etterkommere. Uansett 170 - 49 til Obama, og McCain løper tom for stater.
*02.11 London*
4.000.000 stemmer er tellt i Texas, og Republicanerne leder bare med 52 %, det var jo nye toner. Og der, takk CNN, Rhode Island går til Democratene, 4 nye valgmenn, men i samme slengen går Georgia til Rebulicanerne. 174 - 64. Konklusjon etter å ha sett opptellinga gå sin gang: de røde statene er virkelig røde, mend de blå er tilsvarende blå.
*02:17*
Det er avgjort, Democratene har passert 50 senatorer og har erobret senatoren i New Mexico, Virginia, North Carolina og New Hampshire. Bare 9 igjen før det er absolutt flertall, men ikke noe nytt fra Franken i Minnesota. Derimot er Obama igjen i føringen i folket i stemmer.
*02:24 London*
Gjennombruddet er her. FOX, SKY og NBC gir Ohio til Obama. Det vil gi 20 tidligere republikanske valgmenn til Democratene og i realiteten avgjøre hele valget, men det er jevnt, veldig jevnt over det hele. Avstanden mellom de i North Carolina, Virginia, Florida og Indiana er alle på 3 %. Kan CNN bekreftet dette? Det er fantastiske scener fra Democratenes samling i Chicago og jeg vil vite om det er grunnlag for det!
*21:32 New York*
Louisiana ser ut til å gå til McCain, men New Mexico går til Obama. Det at republicansk inkompetanse først fikk New Orleans under vann og så gjorde gjennoppbyggingen til en tilsvarende katastrofe til glede for markedsfundamentalistene ser ikke ut til å få de på andre tanker. Men, hva med Ohio?
*02:36 London*
Vi er i mål. Things are changeing, changeing utterly. Ohio er democratisk. 194 - 69. Legg til Vestkysten og vi er nærmere 290 enn 270. USA er Democratisk, og med litt flaks: med flertall i kongressen til 2010!
8.000 stemmer skiller McCain fra Obama i Virginia. Forresten, hvorfor er det så taust i Mississippi? Noe større på gang der nede? Dessuten; Nebraska er forundelig jevn, og Democratene har flertall i Lincoln.
*21:45 New York*
Louisiana går til McCain, og Obama gjenvinner New Mexico for Democratene! 199 - 78. En stat til, for eksempel Nevada til Democratene og McCain har blitt slått av "Marxisten", hvilket vel beviser at McCain ikke er helt i takt med folket nei.
*22:00 New York*
Jeg begynner på Red Bullen, i anledningen omdøpt til Blue Bull, og konsaterer at Obama leder i både Florida og Virginia i TILLEGG til North Carolina! Det at mormonerne i Utha går for McCain bryr meg pent lite. Og der spratt Iowa opp som blå! En Toblerone og en Tullamore Dew for den! Kansas går også til McCain og gir oss pene 206 - 89. Husk at California er Democratisk og har 55 valgmenn, hvilket gir han totalt 261 valgmenn pluss Oregons 7, og da har vi 268 og så tilslutt Washingtons 11...og da er vi over 270. Jada. Arkensas er med, og utlikner til 206 - 95.
*22:08 New York*
Democratene fortsetter i Senatet og har tatt 54 seter, 10 seter er uavgjorte og Al Franken leder i Minnesota. Og der sier Sky News at Republicanerne begynner å innse nedelaget. Ellers viser Representantenes Hus 142 - 87, begge Dakotastatene sender nå democrater.
*03.22 Dublin*
Resultater uteblir. Legger kabal.
*21:24 Chicago*
Der gikk Texas til Rebublicanerne, men seieren var ikke på mer enn 9 %. 207 - 129 Mississippi slår seg med og øker McCain til 135. Sjarmerende. 54-38 i Senatet og 162-102 i Huset.
*22:42 New York*
South Dakota og Virginia til Obama? Stoler vi nok på FOX til å tro på det? Satidig dekker Sky at festen til Repubicanerne i Arizona går i oppløsning.
*22:50 New York*
Times gir Obama Virginia. Gode resultater for Democratene i Montana, men nå begynner stemmene fra distriktene i North Carolina å komme fram og nå reiser McCain i fra. Obama leder med 2 millioner stemmer på landsbasis, så dette begynner å likne på et sterkt mandat de neste årene.
*20:59 Phoenix*
I det John McCain skal anerkjenne nederlaget bekrefter CNN at Virginia går til Democratene! 220-135 Gode målinger i Florida. Barrack Obama are the new President elected.Og scenene fra Chicago er absolutt fantastiske, det er egentlig helt ubeskrivelig at det som nå skjer faktisk er virkelig. Obama vant!
*22:08 Chicago*
Idaho går til McCain, Vestkysten og Hawaii til Obama, det er 297-139, men det er bare en formell trivialitet.
*04:16 Dublin* McCain har ringt å gratulert Obama med seiren, og jeg tar en ny Tobelerone. Og holder nå takke tale, mens tilskuerne buer. God reklame for republicanerne, dog, McCain kan i det minste gå ut med hevet hode, men han kunne i det minste holde kjeft om dette "greatest nation on earth".
*21:22 Phoenix*
Colorado er democratisk! 306-145. Arizona går selvsagt til McCain sammen med South Dakota, men Nebraska blir overraskende delt 3-2 mellom dem 306-155.
Valgvake del IV
Første resultater er inne!
McCain tar Kentucky...ingen overraskelse, 8 valgmenn til McCain, men hva med Indiana, Virgina og Soth Carolina?
*19.05 NY tid*
Vermont går til Obama! Der var vi innpå med 3 allerede, men eller ikke noen overraskelse, blir no annet med New Hampshire.
McCain vant bare med 10.300 (52 %)stemmer i så langt Kentucky, og det er en hard-line republikansk stat. Det må jo bety noe; i Vermont er det ikke oppgitt noen tall enda.
*19.43, NY Tid*
West Virginia går til McCain, men ingen dramatikk, sjøl om han også drar fra i Kentucky. Heldigvis betyr ikke popular vote noe.
McCain tar Kentucky...ingen overraskelse, 8 valgmenn til McCain, men hva med Indiana, Virgina og Soth Carolina?
*19.05 NY tid*
Vermont går til Obama! Der var vi innpå med 3 allerede, men eller ikke noen overraskelse, blir no annet med New Hampshire.
McCain vant bare med 10.300 (52 %)stemmer i så langt Kentucky, og det er en hard-line republikansk stat. Det må jo bety noe; i Vermont er det ikke oppgitt noen tall enda.
*19.43, NY Tid*
West Virginia går til McCain, men ingen dramatikk, sjøl om han også drar fra i Kentucky. Heldigvis betyr ikke popular vote noe.
tirsdag 4. november 2008
Valgvake del III
Ja SKY NEWS, vi vet at det er 50 stater og DC som skal fordele valgmennene.
Ja SKY NEWS, vi vet nå at blå er demokrater og røde er republikanere.
Ja SKY NEWS, vi vet nå at de forskjellige statene har forskjellige antall valgmenn.
JA...VI VET AT 270 ER DET MAGISKE TALLET
JA..VI HAR FÅTT MED OSS AT OBAMA ALLEREDE HAR 228 VALGMENN MOT MCCAINS 118!!!
Bah, de første valglokalene er nå stengt og Sky News har sluppet opp for ting å prate om og den stakkars kommentatoren må gjennta og gjennta det samme oppigjen og oppigjen. Heldigvis veklser han på hvilke delstater som går hvilke vei.
Ja SKY NEWS, vi vet nå at blå er demokrater og røde er republikanere.
Ja SKY NEWS, vi vet nå at de forskjellige statene har forskjellige antall valgmenn.
JA...VI VET AT 270 ER DET MAGISKE TALLET
JA..VI HAR FÅTT MED OSS AT OBAMA ALLEREDE HAR 228 VALGMENN MOT MCCAINS 118!!!
Bah, de første valglokalene er nå stengt og Sky News har sluppet opp for ting å prate om og den stakkars kommentatoren må gjennta og gjennta det samme oppigjen og oppigjen. Heldigvis veklser han på hvilke delstater som går hvilke vei.
Valgvake del II
Hvor pokker er resultatene?
Jeg vil ha noe, må da være en aldri så liten valgkrets i Alaska, Montana, Idaho eller New Hampshire som er ferdigtalt. ET tall, noe. Jeg må våge å påstå at jeg er litt rastlaus.
Ser mest fram til å få resultatet fra senatorvalget i Minnesota, hvor en av favoritt satirikerne mine, Al Franken, stiller til valg som Demokratenes kandidat og utfordrer til den sittende Coleman. Mener å huske at det var Coleman som vant det forrige valget fordi den andre...Weststone eller noe omkom i ei flyulykke under valgkampen og Walter Mondale stilte opp som stand-in, og tapte. Dessuten, med Franken inn vil det bety at Demokratene trenger 20 Senatorer til for å få absolutt kontroll i Senatet, ikke 50, men 60 senatorer er den magiske grensa. Gi oss et politisk jordskjelv.
En time til valglokalene langs Østkysten stenger.
Vil også benytte anledingen til å si følgende til Europabevegelsen: NO - NAY - NEVER og for å sitere kjære pastor Paisley "NEVER NEVER NEVER". Aksepter at dere er slått og la oss være i fred og spar oss for dette forbannede Unions pratet vær gang jeg tar en kikk på nyhetene hjemme fra. Det er ikke SÅ bra som dere skal ha det til.
Jeg vil ha noe, må da være en aldri så liten valgkrets i Alaska, Montana, Idaho eller New Hampshire som er ferdigtalt. ET tall, noe. Jeg må våge å påstå at jeg er litt rastlaus.
Ser mest fram til å få resultatet fra senatorvalget i Minnesota, hvor en av favoritt satirikerne mine, Al Franken, stiller til valg som Demokratenes kandidat og utfordrer til den sittende Coleman. Mener å huske at det var Coleman som vant det forrige valget fordi den andre...Weststone eller noe omkom i ei flyulykke under valgkampen og Walter Mondale stilte opp som stand-in, og tapte. Dessuten, med Franken inn vil det bety at Demokratene trenger 20 Senatorer til for å få absolutt kontroll i Senatet, ikke 50, men 60 senatorer er den magiske grensa. Gi oss et politisk jordskjelv.
En time til valglokalene langs Østkysten stenger.
Vil også benytte anledingen til å si følgende til Europabevegelsen: NO - NAY - NEVER og for å sitere kjære pastor Paisley "NEVER NEVER NEVER". Aksepter at dere er slått og la oss være i fred og spar oss for dette forbannede Unions pratet vær gang jeg tar en kikk på nyhetene hjemme fra. Det er ikke SÅ bra som dere skal ha det til.
Valgvake del I
Sky News har tidenes tøffeste touch screen; kan løfte på de forskjellige delstatene, få de til å skifte fage ved å trykke på hodet til kandidatene og da endrer mandatfordelinga seg også. Kan bli gøyalt utover kvelden. Innretningen er i alle fall satt på ønskelista til jul.
Valgdagsmålingene er så langt positive. McCain/Palin tar midvesten inklusivt Louisiana, tydeligvis så har for å av african americans flyttet tilbake etter orkanen, men Florida svinger i retning av Obama/Biden og Pennsylvania, som ikke har stemt Republikansk siden Geroge H. Bush - Michal Dukakis i 1988, går også i den retningen, og da er stengt tatt det verste gjort. Ble sittende å lese på debattinnleggene hos FOX News og bestemte omgåend eat transatlantiske flygninger er til for å kanseleres. Heldigvis etter valgdagsmålingene, puster jeg litt lettere ut og spretter den første Guinnessen.
Valgdagsmålingene er så langt positive. McCain/Palin tar midvesten inklusivt Louisiana, tydeligvis så har for å av african americans flyttet tilbake etter orkanen, men Florida svinger i retning av Obama/Biden og Pennsylvania, som ikke har stemt Republikansk siden Geroge H. Bush - Michal Dukakis i 1988, går også i den retningen, og da er stengt tatt det verste gjort. Ble sittende å lese på debattinnleggene hos FOX News og bestemte omgåend eat transatlantiske flygninger er til for å kanseleres. Heldigvis etter valgdagsmålingene, puster jeg litt lettere ut og spretter den første Guinnessen.
Election day.
OK, take a breath.
In some 11 hours the polling stations are closing and by that the reign of George Walker Bush has come to an end. Well, he will be in the office for another 2 months until January 20th or something, but at least we, they, the Americans, have a new President elected. And that’s a start, and we have survived. Survived 8 years of fear, everyday monitoring of the private life and a politic of trade and marked liberalism that would have not only Marx to turn in his grave, but also Adam Smith. Let’s face it; Bush supported the Lassize Fair, and not conventional liberalism/conservatism in European style. Like it or not, he did something not even senator Obama will manage unless he really manages to get the US out of the shit: Bush did change the world; to the worse. Ask the Palestinians, or the Kurds, or the 23 % of the Americans who’s living for below 60 % of the median income (6.4 % in Norway, and infernally 16 % in Ireland, the Celtic Tiger up my…nose) or those who had to leave New Orleans after Katrina, the Iraqis, the Israelis, and not to mention the new cold war atmosphere we are facing against Russia and Iran, and to some extent China. Thank you so munch for inflicting our life even we didn’t have the opportunity to vote against you. OK, let us change.
However, Obama or McCain, there is huge differences between them and honestly: even as I find it quite hard to believe McCain when he says he will take America in a new direction, as long as he stays alive and gov. Palin remains as Vice-President, US will, despite the outcome of the election, have a highly skilled and a quite stronger Presidency than the previous, as it did show to be rather a constellation of daddy Bush’s friends cooperation with some NGO’s who’s intentions are rather speculative. And even if it should come to the surface after some digging in the new President’s past, friends and voting record: it can’t get worse. And Joe Biden is fare more trustworthy in Foreign Affairs, and I guess when it comes to Human dignity and human rights than Dick Chaney. That it will be change with sen. Obama and sen Biden: absolutely. A liberal presidency after 8 years of neoconservative rule will bring changes in one or another way. We will see a improvement in the social policy, we will see a expanding public sphere when it comes to health care and gun control, not to mention a quite different approach to international relations not to abuse a expression that I like, but the new approach are really a move from the Armalite to the ballot box. When it comes to McCain I find it quite hard to believe when he says he will bring America in a new direction. I am of that opinion that a Republican is a Republican, liberal, centrist or conservative, and a man who openly says that his opponent will bring a atomic war upon them, and a VP candidate who argues that there’s a lot of terrorist around them waiting for Obama to be elected so they can us the proposed cuts in the US defence to attack them; compare to the Bush/Cheney and Rumsfeld/Wolfowits doctrine, where is the new direction? To use fear as primary tool to win the keys to the House in Pennsylvania Avenue, isn’t that pretty much the same way that Bush become re-elected? And Palin, who prayed to the Almighty for a pipe line in Alaska (as far as I know she’s the Governor there and could simply by proper arguing and deliberation manage to get the pipe line granted through regular mechanism) is that a new directions from the pray meetings in the White House? I seriously doubt that. When McCain talks about how he will get America into the right track and bring the changes they need, I get a flash back to the 1984 election when Walter Monedale did the same, claiming that he would bring the changes to the White House just after Ronald Regan had turned the House into something posh and glamourious after some decades with dust collecting presidencies and little memorable occations. As we all know, Mondale lost. Big time. 13 Electorial votes and hardly 40% of the national votes. It was devestating. Have McCain/Palin gone into the same trapp, promoting changes from the heritage of Bush, but still stay to the party manefesto? Will changes from something to something els without doing changes that could be claimed to be liberal? I thin they have entered that trapp, and at this point, there's no bloody way out of it.
Anyway; the first polling stations in New Hampshire have just closed. Dixvill Notch, a republican stronghold since the 1960s have fallen. Perhaps a coincidence, perhaps just a bad day for McCain or perhaps a silent start of something greater, something unexpected that as close as four years ago were unthinkable, something I seriously had thought Americans were way to conservative and racist to do: vote on a African American, that have been raised among Muslims (The peoples who always tries to kill off Jack Bauer, James Braddock and McCoy as they get them in site; you know the terrorists who can't wait to bring their wrath and pagan religion upon the inocent, God fearing Americans in their own family homes in Kentucky, Utha and Nebraska and are hiding at the Canadian and Mexican boarder waiting for Obama to reduce the defence spendings so they can rush towards them and strike them as they are getting weak (satiric for those who didn’t notice!)), and of course that are not representing one of the Southern States (Carter-Bush-Clinton-Gore-Dole(Kansas)). Quite extraordinary in something that actually are turning to a setting that the West Wing could have created. We all remember that the sudden death of John Spencer (the VP candidate and Foreign minister Leo McGarry) before in the 3rd last episode in the final season were finished, suddenly were not too far away from the reality now as Obama’s Grandmother past away the day before the election night. It’s a kind of symbolic. It is however magic. It’s nearly a bit too good to be true. It’s hope and it’s huge speeches. Tears and Bruce Springsteen against prays and Gretchen Wilson. Rock against Country. A "Socialist" against the party who Nationalized the largest banks in US. It is New England against the Mid-West. Blue against Red. It's the American Reality against the American Dream.
It’s Election.
In some 11 hours the polling stations are closing and by that the reign of George Walker Bush has come to an end. Well, he will be in the office for another 2 months until January 20th or something, but at least we, they, the Americans, have a new President elected. And that’s a start, and we have survived. Survived 8 years of fear, everyday monitoring of the private life and a politic of trade and marked liberalism that would have not only Marx to turn in his grave, but also Adam Smith. Let’s face it; Bush supported the Lassize Fair, and not conventional liberalism/conservatism in European style. Like it or not, he did something not even senator Obama will manage unless he really manages to get the US out of the shit: Bush did change the world; to the worse. Ask the Palestinians, or the Kurds, or the 23 % of the Americans who’s living for below 60 % of the median income (6.4 % in Norway, and infernally 16 % in Ireland, the Celtic Tiger up my…nose) or those who had to leave New Orleans after Katrina, the Iraqis, the Israelis, and not to mention the new cold war atmosphere we are facing against Russia and Iran, and to some extent China. Thank you so munch for inflicting our life even we didn’t have the opportunity to vote against you. OK, let us change.
However, Obama or McCain, there is huge differences between them and honestly: even as I find it quite hard to believe McCain when he says he will take America in a new direction, as long as he stays alive and gov. Palin remains as Vice-President, US will, despite the outcome of the election, have a highly skilled and a quite stronger Presidency than the previous, as it did show to be rather a constellation of daddy Bush’s friends cooperation with some NGO’s who’s intentions are rather speculative. And even if it should come to the surface after some digging in the new President’s past, friends and voting record: it can’t get worse. And Joe Biden is fare more trustworthy in Foreign Affairs, and I guess when it comes to Human dignity and human rights than Dick Chaney. That it will be change with sen. Obama and sen Biden: absolutely. A liberal presidency after 8 years of neoconservative rule will bring changes in one or another way. We will see a improvement in the social policy, we will see a expanding public sphere when it comes to health care and gun control, not to mention a quite different approach to international relations not to abuse a expression that I like, but the new approach are really a move from the Armalite to the ballot box. When it comes to McCain I find it quite hard to believe when he says he will bring America in a new direction. I am of that opinion that a Republican is a Republican, liberal, centrist or conservative, and a man who openly says that his opponent will bring a atomic war upon them, and a VP candidate who argues that there’s a lot of terrorist around them waiting for Obama to be elected so they can us the proposed cuts in the US defence to attack them; compare to the Bush/Cheney and Rumsfeld/Wolfowits doctrine, where is the new direction? To use fear as primary tool to win the keys to the House in Pennsylvania Avenue, isn’t that pretty much the same way that Bush become re-elected? And Palin, who prayed to the Almighty for a pipe line in Alaska (as far as I know she’s the Governor there and could simply by proper arguing and deliberation manage to get the pipe line granted through regular mechanism) is that a new directions from the pray meetings in the White House? I seriously doubt that. When McCain talks about how he will get America into the right track and bring the changes they need, I get a flash back to the 1984 election when Walter Monedale did the same, claiming that he would bring the changes to the White House just after Ronald Regan had turned the House into something posh and glamourious after some decades with dust collecting presidencies and little memorable occations. As we all know, Mondale lost. Big time. 13 Electorial votes and hardly 40% of the national votes. It was devestating. Have McCain/Palin gone into the same trapp, promoting changes from the heritage of Bush, but still stay to the party manefesto? Will changes from something to something els without doing changes that could be claimed to be liberal? I thin they have entered that trapp, and at this point, there's no bloody way out of it.
Anyway; the first polling stations in New Hampshire have just closed. Dixvill Notch, a republican stronghold since the 1960s have fallen. Perhaps a coincidence, perhaps just a bad day for McCain or perhaps a silent start of something greater, something unexpected that as close as four years ago were unthinkable, something I seriously had thought Americans were way to conservative and racist to do: vote on a African American, that have been raised among Muslims (The peoples who always tries to kill off Jack Bauer, James Braddock and McCoy as they get them in site; you know the terrorists who can't wait to bring their wrath and pagan religion upon the inocent, God fearing Americans in their own family homes in Kentucky, Utha and Nebraska and are hiding at the Canadian and Mexican boarder waiting for Obama to reduce the defence spendings so they can rush towards them and strike them as they are getting weak (satiric for those who didn’t notice!)), and of course that are not representing one of the Southern States (Carter-Bush-Clinton-Gore-Dole(Kansas)). Quite extraordinary in something that actually are turning to a setting that the West Wing could have created. We all remember that the sudden death of John Spencer (the VP candidate and Foreign minister Leo McGarry) before in the 3rd last episode in the final season were finished, suddenly were not too far away from the reality now as Obama’s Grandmother past away the day before the election night. It’s a kind of symbolic. It is however magic. It’s nearly a bit too good to be true. It’s hope and it’s huge speeches. Tears and Bruce Springsteen against prays and Gretchen Wilson. Rock against Country. A "Socialist" against the party who Nationalized the largest banks in US. It is New England against the Mid-West. Blue against Red. It's the American Reality against the American Dream.
It’s Election.
lørdag 1. november 2008
18: Contains strong bloody violence
It's fireing in the Streets, sirens from the Gardai and a never ending stream of ambulances in routs between an Lár and the hospitals in the suburbs. I knew that with so many zombies and vampires haunting the Dublin street somebody did have to do some foolish. Let us join the vampires and kick some zombie arse and make dead things even deader! Anyway, quite charming...and could be a hell of a movie. And, taken the massive fireworks around here, all you need is a bit imagniation to do it a bit more...interesting. For example, close your eyes, listen to the sirens and the explotions outside and think of following song:
Through the little streets of Belfast
In the dark of early morn
British soldiers came marauding
Wrecking little homes with scorn
Heedless of the crying children
Cragging fathers from their bedsBeating sons while helpless mothers
Watched the blood poor from their heads
See, suddenly the Halloween firework is a lot more interesting...or, if you have Troubles (Haha) with such, try another conflict: It's Halloween only once every year, have fun, just try to avoid everything before the intruduction of the Machine Gunn!
Anyway. Due to the horrorish attitude around in Dublin today, I think I have to publish a kind of "dark" post. Therfor, children and pregnant woman should stop here....
-Then- I give ye my Bloody List of Horror: Top 10 Scenes I still find -quite litterery- bloody scary.
No 10
The first appearence of the Alien, in "Alien".
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h248/derbarbarian/alien_movie_monster_06.jpg The entire space ship are like a oil platform with a lot of pipeline, cables, dark spots and metalic sounds and whisling from the vetilation system. This is also a quite good description of the Alien, watched from a distance (recomended). Suddenly this ten feet tall creatur rais behind one of the characters, and yeah..nasty
No 9
The Needle Bath in Hostel II. It is a reason why I have boycotted all the other Hostel movies. For those who don't know the consept: it's all about somebody who have sinned in that way that don't apprisiate their life, but when facing to lose it, which most of them do in the end, they are willing to face their most utter fear to save them self. In this scene a girl who have been on drugs here entire life are getting push into a huge container filled with needles, were one of them contains the key to the exit door in the house they are trapped in. They are running out of air and she have two minutes to find the one needle by digging with here bare hands.
No 8
The amputation scene in Revolution. "Reveolution" are indeed no horror movie, but a terrible boring movie, though with Natasha Kinski, Al Pachino and Donald Sutherland, about the American War of Independence. But, as I sad, it is about a War, and in wars people are getting wonded. The point is only that the sound of a saw against a bone ain't pretty, esspecially not when the Doctor struggles to force the saw into the bone and have problems to push it back and forward.
No 7
The Cannibal scenes in Cannibal Ferox (AKA Make them Die Slowly) and Cannibal Holocaust. As the second title indicates; two evils added together will never turn to something good. I don't wan't to go in detalies, but Uberto Lenzi, the Director, were arrested after the Premier in New York in 1981 because of the content; that too much of what happend during the running time were too strong, and that the abusing and mutulations of some of the characters were thought to acctually have taken place. It is quite long between every movie I would prefered stayed illegal, but does two, have nothing...absoultlly nothing to contribute wo the public interest. Thoug, may I mention, that at least C. Holocaus do point out unethical parts of the West sociological reseach at Native peoples. Despite that, disscusting.
No 6
All the German soldiers in Outpost.http://www.onesixthwarriors.com/photo/data/500/the-outpost-movie-12.jpg They are not living, not dead, not zombies, not Ghosts, but they are walking, they are pale and still determend to fight for the Reich. One of the best horrors I have seen. It's about a deserted bunker in Eastern Europe where something happend during the last days of the War. This is right after the fall of the Irion Curtain, and now a Millitary company what to know what and hire some mercaneries and find out what the secret of the Outpost. A quite scary movie, but, as the Brits have a habbit to do: it is extreamly well produced and the scenery is magnificent.
No 5
The Bunker. http://www.beyondhollywood.com/posterx/thebunker.jpg This is quite simmular to the Outpost, but this story take place in France in 1944 as the Western Front are falling apart. A German company gets ambushed by a machine gunn, and only a few of them manage to take refuge in a Bunker protected by a veteran from WWI and a young boy. They can see that it is people outside, and that they are fireing against them, but they can't hit them. And, furthermore, there is something, or someone haunting the cellar of the Bunker, and slowly the remaining soldiers are captured in their own fear and are sinking into their own madness and imagination.
No 4
The Execution in Another Life. http://www.jamesmcconnel.com/page6/files/HangingPIC.jpg Not too much to say about this either, but it is about a woman who are scentences to death for murdering here husband, which she didn't. The movie are based on a true story, and that is why it is cruel. As the Court rejects the 250.000 signatures who begs for here life she turn manic, forced to the floor and drug. Still in consciousness, but unable to speak or movie she are dragd to the scafold as she tries to pronouns "Mom" and hanged. After seeing this, Bloody Sunday investigation and In the Name of My Father and others: can't somebody soon make a film about the british court system who don't presents them as a anti-Irish, woman hating, Elitistic, corrupted, sadistic assambly of old men with redicoulus wigs? (Though, Sophia Myles do in a dream sekvens in the Extras a quite good job as a Defence Lawyer, but then again, that was a dream)
No 3
First apparece of Leatherface in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f34/cazzutello/tellocazzu/Leatherface.jpgThe TCM are perhaps more brutal and/or sadistic than it is scary, but in the original movie, when Gunnar Hansen do the Leatherface character: nearly nothing are more frightning. He appear a second, you manage to see him as he raises the axe, and as he hit and drag the first body away, he's gone. Tobe Hooper's TCM are THE horror movie. I have never been that frightened after a movie than that one. The way he haven't used any effects at all in the movie, and the pure simpleness and the freaky music asses with the title it self (thoug, in the first movie Leatherface do "only" kills one with the chainsaw, doing the "massacre" part of the title a bit confusing)do the entire athmospher scary to the bone. The Mask, the dark eyes, the bloody Butcher outfit, lack of language but still with the human fear does Leatherface to the best horror character I know.
No 2
Pet Cemetery, the return of Sammy http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r114/dom316/pet_sematary.jpg, Zelda http://infinitecoolness.com/galleries/petsematary/petsematarypictures29.jpg and Timmy http://infinitecoolness.com/galleries/petsematary/ (find him your self, he's rotten, rather ugly and have his fingers pushed through his skinn...also better pictures from the movie there). The Norwegian title "De Levende Døde" are infact a bit more describing than Pet Cemetery. In general this movie is about a Indian cemetery, situated close to a pet cematery, were the ground is so sore that everyone put to rest returns. But, they are not the same as the person layed to rest there..they are something different. They are quite zombie like with that difference that they do communicate in a propper maner (Pascow, poor man, are acctually quite sympathetic to be dead, and show that a large hole in your head don't have to be something negative in the social life), they don't feed on humans, they do act as regular livings, but are rather rotten, may kill you with a drill/scalpell/toaster/lorry and likes to sitt in dark corners and stare at you with a bit too wide open and empty eyes and will after a wile turn sucidal (if that is possibile if you already are dead). In other words: they freek me out, even Pascow http://www.iconsoffright.com/PetSemetary/PET_SEMATARY-27.jpg, and he's the good guy. The movie itself ain't too good, but; i saw it in a young age, a dark night and despite the ocult nature of the movie, it still scares me, think it has manifested itself as my defention of fear...why I then love George Romero's movies..strange.
No 1
May, the new Friend scene.
A quite poetic horror; the story of a girl who just wants love, gets rejected by here only two friends and therefor she make herself a new one..with parts from her old friends. As the "master piece" are finished she realize that the new creaters perhaps loves here, but what she realy wants its a person who can see her as well, therefor she use a scissor to punsh out her own eye to give it to here new friend. She dies. Non the less, its is a sad history of a lonely person, and Angela Bettis do manage to freak you out just by deliver a cold smiling. Focking frightning.
Now, don't say I didn't warn ye. I will now celebrate the evening with a Tullamore Dew and Day of the Dead, despit the fact that I rather want to the city center and have some fun with some vampires. Sleep well, and happy Halloween from Dublin.
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