One of the Few

In their struggle to get more students abroad, the School of Politics and International Relations have decided to start an intensive propaganda campaign to promote studies abroad to every one of us enlisted to studies at UCD. Therefore do I once a week receive a mail from my advisor who tells me that the ERASMUS program are just what I need to join; that studies abroad are just the thing I need. And yesterday my advisor, who also are the very same person who piss me off every single "Propaganda for the European Union"-class, did start the lecture by promoting studies abroad in this way (try to read it with a ztrong German axent):

We hafe a lot of different agreements throughout Europe (who for once doesn’t mean the countries subjected to the Union), I will advice you to hafe a closer look on the different Universities. We have a lot of cities: Paris - Brussels - Lund - Cologne - Vienna -...eh…- Bergen

Well, since she use those words to form such strong valued arguments, why not; I’ll think I’ll try a semester in Bergen.

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.

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.

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?

*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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 beds

Beating 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.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f315/Blackenhalloween/18372092.jpg

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.