Two Years And Counting

I forgot that earlier this month marked the second anniversary of El Blogador. It doesn't be long going! The first month's posts from September 2005 are here. Thanks to all those who have visited and commented since then.

General Election To Be Held On Thursday 25th October 2007

El Blogador is receiving news that a general election is to be called for Thursday 25th October 2007. More news when we get it.

Update: Haven't heard anything more as yet- will let you know if I do!

El Blogador In Irish 'Top 20'...

...well according to Mick Fealty/ Iain Dale anyway- El Blogador has appeared in a list of the top 20 Irish blogs as compiled by Mick for Iain. In there we also find usual suspects such as A Tangled Web, Young Unionists and Chris Gaskin's Balrog (which apparently provides 'social conservatism' ;) )

The Danger Of Tasers Revealed

On previous occasions I've voiced my opposition to moves by the PSNI to try to introduce tasers here as a 'non-lethal' weapon. The facts prove that tasers are far from safe. The other concern I had was surrounding their possible misuse, as happened with the trigger-happy firing of that other infamous 'non-lethal' weapon, plastic bullets.

Now video has emerged showing precisely the kind of situation where tasers could be misused. Suffice to say the chap in the video is quite irritating, but since when has that ever been reason to arrest him and make him endure a strong bolt of electricity that could have killed him?

Viva the Land of the Free...

SDLP Comments On Fianna Fáil's Designs On Northern Ireland

SDLP Leader Mark Durkan MP MLA has today responded to An Taoiseach’s announcement that Fianna Fáil is to establish a new committee on all-island strategy:

"The SDLP was the architect of the Agreed Ireland which has now at last come to pass. We have always said that this new Ireland would bring realignment and exciting change in Irish politics, both between North and South and within the North. With many of the institutions finally up and running, the flux that we have predicted is now beginning to appear.

"We are a party that plays its role in response to the public needs of the time. For decades, we worked in the national interest to secure peace. In recent years, we have continued to take on the real issues of the day, North and South, not least through our ‘North-South Makes Sense’ strategy for all-island cooperation. We have worked closely and extensively with Ministers from Fianna Fáil on the National Development Plan which is now paying huge dividends in investment for the North.

"Now, as we look forward to ever-greater focus on everyday economic and social issues, and in particular to the North-South Parliamentary Forum which has yet to be set up, we see huge opportunity for new partnership and cooperation.

"Today, An Taoiseach indicated that Fianna Fáil is approaching the questions of island-wide politics. For our part, the SDLP has also been considering this in the context of a review of party development. Indeed, members of the review team recently met Dermot Ahern TD as well as members of other parties in the South.”

"We welcome today’s announcement and look forward to continuing our engagement with Fianna Fáil through Dermot Ahern’s new working group, where we will set out our vision of the future development of national politics. As a true republican party, we believe that the social and economic interests of the people of the entire island are best served by ever-deepening cooperation between North and South. We anticipate a healthy and forward-looking debate as a means to forging a new political path for the whole country.

"We all need to approach these issues with the aim of maximising the opportunities of the new political alignments for the people of Ireland and not just increasing the number of parties contesting elections in the North. In the meantime, our focus is on making the best possible contribution to people's lives and living standards, through positive representation and strong social democratic policies."

Time For Crackdown

The shocking murder of Harry Holland needs to act as a wake-up call- it's time to take decisive action against the violent underbelly of society which is holding the law-abiding, decent majority to ransom. No one should feel unsafe on our streets.

Mr Holland was attacked and stabbed in the head with a screwdriver because he dared to stand up to thugs who were attempting to steal his van. There seems to be an attitude among some people that they can help themselves to property which other people have worked hard to buy, and if anyone gets in their way, God help them.

What are we supposed to do in a situation like this? Are we supposed to stand back and leave them to it? Are we supposed to call the police?

As someone who has had to tackle individuals who were attempting to steal a car not so long ago, was I being stupid and putting my life on the line because I wasn't prepared to stand idly by and let them away with it? Yes, we called the police, but by the time they had arrived the thugs had long since gone. The officers were very friendly and professional, but unsurprisingly we never heard anything back so presumably these scumbags are still at large. Not only that, but if the police can't dust a car for prints at the scene, they arrange for the car to be towed to a storage facility, but then the owner has to pay to get it back!

Clearly there is a need for a concerted effort by community leaders, politicians and the police to address this problem. Anti-social behaviour and violent crime are the scourge of our society today- yes, we can blame the parents, but that doesn't solve the problem. It's time to tilt the scales back in favour of the general public.

DUP Problems

Over the course of the past few months it has become clear that the tight grip of power that Ian Paisley once had on his 'flock' is loosening. Just last week it was revealed that he will be stepping down as leader of the church he founded, and now eight DUP councillors on Coleraine Council have backed a move to oppose DUP Minister Arlene Foster's plans for the Giant's Causeway.

The councillors in question supported a proposal by SDLP Councillor John Dallat backing the original government plan for the development of the Giant’s Causeway. The proposal was seconded by the DUP mayor Maurice Bradley.

The proposal reads: "This council supports the original government backed planning application for the Giant’s Causeway lodged in 2002 and conveys our concerns to the Minister for the Environment, Arlene Foster."

Foster has indicated support for the private planning application by Seaport Developments, a company owned by Seymour Sweeney, who is a member of the DUP.

Arlene Foster, for her part, has rubbished suggestions that she was influenced by Sweeney's membership of the DUP, saying: "A minister, when making decisions, cannot and should not investigate party affiliations of applicants, and I did not do so in this case."

"I do not know the applicant, have never met him, and know nothing about him.

"If anyone impugns my integrity in this matter I will be seeking legal advice and will act accordingly."

Imposter Bin Laden?

On the thread I posted the other day about Osama Bin Laden's beard, Safiya claimed that the person in the video wasn't in fact him.

Having looked a bit more closely, the person in the video does bear a striking resemblace to a certain other world figure...

What Of Democracy Now?

George Bush, the genius President of the USA, has made it his publicly stated goal to bring democracy to places such as Iraq. It's strange though how he is happy to avail of the assistance of dictatorships to implement his plans.

Which bring us to Pakistan. The USA over the past number of years doesn't seem too bothered about the fact that the dictator of Pakistan, General Pervez Musharraf (whose name Bush couldn't even remember during an interview), overthrew the elected Prime Minister of the country Nawaz Sharif in 1999. Is this democracy? Sharif was exactly a paragon of democracy himself, but that's a separate issue.

Now it transpires that following an attempt to return to his native country, Sharif has been deported back out. He was there to challenge Musharraf. Is this democracy?

Can we now expect the USA to invade Pakistan to 'restore democracy', or will they let things sit as they are so long as Pervez Musharraf plays ball?

Britain's Favourite View?

I saw a programme being advertised during the rugby there on ITV called 'Britain's Favourite View'. No problem there, but it transpires that one view in the running for the 'prize' is that of Strangford Lough. Now I know TV has been accused of late of peddling inaccuracies such as the content of that trailer for some documentary about Queen Elizabeth in which they made her look like a grump, but surely basic knowledge of geography would have alerted the makers of this show to the fundamental problem that Strangford Lough isn't in fact in Britain.

If they're talking about Britain's Favourite View, assuming one has to be in Britain to avail of said views, enjoying a vista of Strangford Lough is pretty difficult from the Mull of Kintyre. What next- 'America's Favorite [sic] View' with the Kremlin heading the shortlist?

Just For Men

He's the world's most wanted man, is waging an international war against the west and is currently living in a cave in the middle of nowhere. Yet Osama Bin Laden has still found the time (and the sink with warm water?) to dye his beard. They just don't make 'em like they used to...

Guinness Is Good For You!

You'll not find me complaining about the news that scientific research has found that a pint of Guinness is good for you. Apparently drinking the black stuff may work as well as aspirin to prevent clots that raise the risk of heart attacks. Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, say experts from Wisconsin University. The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease. They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood.

Of course, you're always going to get those who take this kind of research a bit too literally and use it as an excuse to go out on the lash at any given opportunity. The fact that most of these sorts of clots are caused by alcohol in the first place must be bourne in mind also. But I don't think we'll end up back in a situation where people who've just come out of an operation or who are pregnant are given a pint of St James's Gate's finest.

Personally, rather than getting worked up about whether stout is good for you, I'd prefer if Guinness put more effort into spreading the availability of cold flow- its presence is depressing scarce around Belfast. And apart from that, regardless of its health-giving benefits, it'll never come near to the Drink of Gods aka Smithwick's.

Now, pardon me while I head for a pint.

Congratulations Eamon Gilmore

Following the close of nominations at midday today, it was announced that Eamon Gilmore will be the new leader of the Irish Labour Party. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Eamon and wish him all the best. It's quite clear that Irish Labour need to do something to pull themselves out of their current stagnation- their vote hasn't collapsed, but they are exactly on fire either. The Spring Tide is becoming a distant memory, and Eamon now faces the challenging task of improving his party's fortunes.

Like his predecessor Pat Rabbitte, Eamon comes from the sticky wing of the party, but commanded support for his candidacy from such Labour grandees as Michael D. Higgins, Ruairi Quinn and Willie Penrose

Now all that remains to seen is who becomes his deputy...

The Blind Leading The Blind

It turns out that over the weekend those paragons of virtue Martin McGuinness and Jeffrey Donaldson took a wee trip over to Finland to 'advise' on conflict resolution in Iraq. I'm sure that was fun.

What exactly did the sponsors hope to learn from this junket they funded? Aside from something along the lines of 'It's ok to go around killing the enemy for years, then decide that they are no longer the enemy and jump into bed with them' or 'Refuse to share power with your rivals for years and accuse them of being murderers until you do well in elections and then you can hang out together and be the best of friends', I'm not quite sure what advice they would have been able to offer.

One commentator described getting advice on creating peace from Martin McGuinness as being akin to getting lessons in bedside manners from Dr Harold Shipman. Indeed. And those of us who don't subscribe to the revisionist recreation of history currently being written by the Provos and Paisleyites will recall that the sum total of Donaldson's 'contribution' to the peace process was to stand outside the Good Friday Agreement negotiations complaining at the very idea of going into power with 'themmuns', hanging about in the Ulster Unionists until he was quite sure the DUP was on the rise before jumping ship, and then nearly a decade later taking the exact same route as the UUP colleagues he once lambasted into government with Sinn Féin (indeed, with the Provos in a much stronger position than in Trimble's day).

Presumbly the people who organised these talks have decided to prepare for three decades of pointless violence and needless delay to progress if they are looking to Sinn Féin and the DUP for guidance.

One can only assume John Hume was otherwise engaged at the weekend.

'Super Techs'- Robbing Peter, But Still Not Paying Paul

Amidst great fanfare, the north's Further Education Colleges have been amalgamated. However, while all the Chief Executives may be patting themselves on the back and lavishing funds on ads in Business Eye and such publications, the people who do the real work- the teachers- are still waiting for their payrise. Not only that, but it has been revealed that in some areas fees for classes have been bumped up to bring in even more money to these already cash-laden institutions (not that you would think it by the amount they spend on premises and their staff).

One of the techs where fees have risen is the Southern Regional College (a moniker that in itself is a misnomer- it doesn't operate in Cork after all, but well north of the midlands). The Deputy Chair of the Assembly Education Committee Dominic Bradley has branded the new pricing structures for some evening courses at the college as extortionate, and has said that it is effectively robbing senior citizens.

Dominic commented: "I have been inundated by calls from people right across this community complaining bitterly about these new pricing structures at the new Southern Regional College. Until this year, senior citizens, that is anyone in receipt of the state pension were entitled to a concessionary price for attending evening courses but alas this is no more.

"Under the new pricing structure introduced, a person must be in receipt of Pension Credit before they are entitled to apply for a concession. Pension credit is a top-up to the state pension, however, if for example someone paid into a company or government pension through their work and is in receipt o f a small pension, say £80 per month this could push them just over the qualifying limit and are not eligible for pension credit and therefore they are not eligible for the concession rate for courses which they were eligible for this time last year. This is effectively the means testing of recreational courses and does nothing to encourage life-long learn and every thing to discourage it.

"I believe these new price hikes are more about making money than offering recreational leisure or educational courses. In the case of many of the senior citizens who contacted me made clear the importance of these courses to them a way of extending their education and of meeting new friends whilst doing something they enjoy."

Dominic added: "I have written to the Chief Executive of the Southern Regional College expressing my deep anger and indeed abhorrence at these new prices and have asked that he review them immediately. Some course fees have increased by 400%. This is not why Pension Credit was introduced- Pension Credit gives people on a state pension a little more and should not be used by the college as a means of increasing fees to senior citizens.

"I will be raising this issue with the Minister for Employment and Learning and the Minister for Social Development as a matter of urgency."

So, Reg, yet again it is time for you to step up to the mark. You have already stated that you agree in principle that lecturers at these colleges should get a payrise- we await your delivery on this. Now you also have the task of bringing education to the people without emptying their bank accounts. The clock is ticking...