NCA’s new campaign: Guaranteed Decent

Apparently there was a six mile tailback to Newry today. Which is beyond abstract, not to mention quite silly if people were thinking the VAT decrease had been implemented overnight. On the other hand, if they were looking for low priced quality fitted wardrobes that you can build in your own home… then maybe…

Those who didn’t spend the day hunting FÁS employees may have found an alternative outlet for their recession-induced rage. Shops. Shops, here, and how they’re ripping us off bigstyle.

Let’s ignore for the moment the fact that they’ve been doing it for ages. Now that we have less money to go round – and thanks to the council decision to raise rates in Dublin – we’re becoming much more conscious of the fact that £45 (€53) looks an awful lot like €70 (£59) when you rip off the price tag and act like nobody should or will notice.

So. New Plan. Somebody has to do something, and the Brians’s’s plan is to raise the VAT rate here just to make sure we can clearly identify the border.

NCA? Tourist Board? Chamber of Commerce? ANYONE?

New gimmick. For many, many years (the 80s, or so I’m told) the “Guaranteed Irish” was a big deal. By the looks of things it is about to become so again. So let’s add to it. Make a new sticker. For shops.

“Guaranteed Decent”

A symbol that says, the prices here may not be exactly what you’ll get across the border, but they’re damned close. We’re doing everything we can to sell quality products at reasonable prices, and by shopping here you will be supporting Irish jobs. Thanks.

Make it work, and make it count – so that the rest of us don’t have to.

Addendum

I need to review my previous post. I hadn’t gotten as far as Kevin Myers’ column when I wrote it.

So, no more speechlessness then. Myers seldom if ever inspires speechlessness.

I wonder if today’s column is an attempt to raise a debate, or if he means it? I wonder if he ever means what he writes, or if it’s all about getting a certain level of reaction. Maybe that’s the beauty of it – does anyone other than the man himself really know what Kevin Myers thinks of anything?

Either way.

There is no justification for the level of offense and pain today’s column will have caused a vast number of people in this country.

None.

Rebus

There’s an article in today’s Irish Independent about the inquest of a 13 year old boy who died by suicide, in which the judge at the inquest questioned (rhetorically) how a boy that young could even know how to do what he had done.

A few paragraphs later, the journalist writing the piece decided to explain how the boy had died. In case any other 13 year olds out there didn’t know how to do it?

Speechless.

My new favourite number…

18

Monday’s Q&A

I’m not going to make this a long one, not least because either you saw this week’s Questions and Answers or you didn’t. And if you saw it, either your blood boiled like mine did, or you thought it was all a perfectly lovely discussion. I don’t think there’s a grey area on this.

I’m not a Christian, though I frequently wish I did have some sort of faith. As the saying goes though, “I have loads of Christian friends”… and the idea that some of the things being said on Q&A (and elsewhere) on Monday night are cloaked in terms of ‘Christianity’ makes me violently ill on their behalf.

Love thy neighbour, just keep him caged.

Absurd

Surely that’s the only word for the notion of an elected representative not only (‘allegedly’) getting into a scrap with a teenager, while (‘allegedly’) drunk, but then getting kicked out of the courtroom for chewing gum?

FARCICAL.

11.11

At the weekend I had a heated discussion (by which I mean an observer might well have described it as a roaring fight) with a good friend about the nature of remembrance and our apparent inability to get it right.

Kevin Myers was on newstalk yesterday speaking about the change in recent years and the fact that we now acknowledge the 11th of November in this country – or rather that we now do it officially in a way that is perhaps new.

My friend was adamant that the problem was Northern Ireland, and that the troubles meant we can’t wear red poppies and we can’t have official commemorations.

I know what he means, but I’m not as sure as he or Myers is that we’ve had a genuine improvement.

Why?

A letter in yesterday’s Independent somewhat captures the problem, though unfortunately it’s couched in unnecessary sniping at Myers.

I have lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked why I will never wear a red poppy. By people who would never in a million years consider wearing a white lily at Easter. And for some reason they don’t see the connection between those two symbols. Which is the saddest part of all.

Remembrance today is important. Though I would argue that remembrance every day would serve us better.

More important still is that we remember everyone. Not only the Irish who died at the Somme, but those who died on our own main thoroughfare. Not only those who died in our own uniform, but those who died in another uniform for whatever reason. Not only the Irish. Not only the ‘defence forces’. Everyone.

The memorial unveiled at the weekend may be going in the right direction. Surely we could get a miniature of it, and attach a pin, and sell those in April, and in November, and all the days in between.

Remembrance is a vital part of moving on, moving forward, and never forgetting what must be prevented for future generations. But the longer we continue to oppose each others’ means of remembrance the more challenging that prevention becomes. And the less successful.

Ciarán The Conscience(TM)

Is Ciarán Cuffe speaking on his own behalf these days, in a desperate attempt to become the only Green TD re-elected next time around, or is his ongoing outspokenness party-sanctioned – some sort of effort to remind the people that voted Green last time that they haven’t sold out completely (just mostly)?

This morning on Morning Ireland, Cuffe was questioned about his latest comments, this time about Czech president Vaclav Klaus. Cuffe claims he is not only anti-European, but also a ClimateChange Denier, and a homophobe.

Thankfully the obvious question was asked of him, namely “Er, are you allowed say that?”, but he didn’t really give any sort of answer, beyond acknowledging the comments he made, giving a touch of context, and then saying these were Green Party views.

Surely there’s some sort of protocol on that sort of thing, particularly coming from a government TD??

But this is different, because Ciarán doesn’t seem to realise he’s a government TD. He’s convinced he’s the Great Green Crusader, and hasn’t stopped to notice that Messrs Ryan and Gormley sold him and his ilk out many months ago.

There’s also the small issue that he’s calling Klaus a homophobe for refusing to sign a Civil Partnership Bill into law in the Czech Republic. Did I miss something? Did we bring in equality in Ireland last night and forget to tell the little people? And if not, by your own reckoning, isn’t that the hat of a homophobic government you’re wearing there matey?

While he’s not quite reaching the dizzying heights of his good friend Paul G, Deputy Cuffe is fast catching up…

Week in Review

Yuppers I disappeared for a bit and don’t have the brainpower on this deceptively sunny Monday to fill in the big blank that has lived here all week.

So, in summary:

• As predicted, rage and bile spills over on the Irish Times letter page…
• As predicted (though not here) Obama won, and the world is thus a better place (no really). On a related note, newseum had a great spread of front pages welcoming the Obama win, while Scamp had a lovely selection of Obama-Inspired images to mark the occasion.
• On a related note, watching Obama’s first press conference as president-elect on Friday evening made me indescribably gleeful.
• The PDs died, relatively gracefully. Mary Harney at this point I think is maintaining a bit too much grace, I wish she’d snap, but I know she won’t. Apparently her speech at Saturday’s conference was superb and if nothing else I wouldn’t mind hearing or seeing a copy.
• In other news, the IMPAC nominations are out, and Enright is on the list. At this rate, some day she will get nominated for a Nobel prize, and I refuse to be held responsible for my actions should that happen.
• Saw Quantum of Solace, and liked it, despite relative absence of Bondiness and possible excess of Bourniness, until I re-watched Casino Royale on Saturday. No comparison.
• Ryan Adams & The Cardinals @ The Ambassador on Saturday was great, though I still don’t understand the Ambassador as a venue and couldn’t help feeling like the ‘balcony’ was going to fall and crush the rest of us at any moment

Not so subtle

Is it just me or are Fianna Fáil collectively hanging Mary Harney out to dry today?

Beginning to wish she had it in her to really, truly fight back.